Exopolysaccharide riclin and anthocyanin-based composite colorimetric indicator film for food freshness monitoring.

Food freshness monitoring is vital to ensure food safety. Recently, packaging materials incorporating pH-sensitive films have been employed to monitor the freshness of food products in real time. The film-forming matrix of the pH-sensitive film is essential to maintain the desired physicochemical functions of the packaging. Conventional film-forming matrices, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), have drawbacks of low water resistance, poor mechanical properties, and weak antioxidant ability. In this study, we successfully synthesise PVA/riclin (P/R) biodegradable polymer films to overcome these limitations. The films feature riclin, an agrobacterium-derived exopolysaccharide. The uniformly dispersed riclin conferred outstanding antioxidant activity to the PVA film and significantly improved its tensile strength and barrier properties by forming hydrogen bonds. Purple sweet potato anthocyanin (PSPA) was used as a pH indicator. The intelligent film with added PSPA provided robust surveillance of volatile ammonia and changed its color within 30 s in the pH range of 2-12. This multifunctional colorimetric film also engendered discernible color changes when the quality of shrimp deteriorated, demonstrating its great potential as an intelligent packaging material to monitor food freshness.

Comprehensive treatment of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome: A case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is currently considered to be a non-hereditary disease, which is relatively rare clinically. It is also known as polyposis hyperpigmentation alopecia nail dystrophy syndrome, it is a syndrome characterized by gastrointestinal polyposis and ectodermal changes, the main manifestations are gastrointestinal symptoms, skin pigmentation, alopecia, and hypothyroidism. CASE PRESENTATION: In this paper, the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of a case of CCS admitted to Huanghe Sanmenxia Hospital were analyzed. In the course of treatment, traditional Chinese medicine was used, but no hormone, and the patient's clinical symptoms were greatly relieved. CONCLUSIONS: CCS is rare, there is no specific treatment, and traditional Chinese medicine may can greatly relieve the clinical symptoms of patients. However, it's still having to be verified by a large sample, multi-center, long-term treatment follow-up studies.

The carbohydrate elicitor Riclinoctaose facilitates defense and growth of potato roots by inducing changes in transcriptional and metabolic profiles.

Promoting both root growth and defense is conducive to the production of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.), while the role of elicitors in this topic hasn't been fully understood. To investigate the effect of Riclinoctaose (RiOc) on root growth and defense, potato tissue cuttings were cultivated with different concentration of RiOc (0, 50, 200 mg/L) for 5 weeks and changes in root morphology, transcription, enzymatic and metabolomic profiles were monitored over time. The results indicated that RiOc triggered the salicylic acid (SA)-mediated defense response and facilitated the growth of adventitious and lateral roots in a dose- and time-dependent manner. MPK3/MPK6, SA- and auxin-signaling pathways and transcription factors such as WUS, SCR and GRAS4/GRAS9 participated in this process. Moreover, the 1H NMR based metabolome profiling demonstrated that potato roots altered the primary metabolism to respond to the RiOc elicitation and efficiency in production and allocation of defense and growth-related metabolites was improved. After 5-week treatment, the level of glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, glutamine, asparagine, isoleucine, valine, 3-hydroxyisovalerate and ferulate increased, while acetate, acetoacetate, fucose, and 2-hydroxyphenylacetate declined. In conclusion, RiOc played dual roles in activating the SA-mediated defense response and in promoting growth of potato roots by inducing changes in root transcription and metabolism.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling revealed the role of succinoglycan Riclin octaose in eliciting the defense response of Solanum tuberosum.

Activating the defense response of plants by elicitors provides a promising method for biocontrol of pathogens. The homogeneous octaose (RiOc) which was depolymerized from the succinoglycan Riclin was investigated as a novel elicitor to activate the immune system of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). After foliar spray, RiOc quickly induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species in potato leaves in a dose-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that 2712 out of 30,863 genes were differentially expressed at the early stage (24 h), while 367 of them were changed later (72 h). Results from the transcriptome and quantitative RT-PCR suggested that RiOc was probably perceived by the receptor LYK3 and it activated the MKK2/3/9/-MPK6/7 signaling cascade and promoted the salicylic acid-mediated defense response. Meanwhile, RiOc changed the metabolome profile of potato leaves over time as demonstrated by the 1H NMR-based metabolomic analysis. Homeostasis of amino acids was affected at the early stage while the secondary metabolism was strengthened later. More importantly, RiOc significantly reduced the severity of potato leaf lesions caused by the late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans. In conclusion, RiOc effectively improved the resistance of potato to P. infestans by eliciting the salicylic acid-mediated defense response. RiOc becomes a promising carbohydrate-based elicitor for biocontrol of plant pathogens. KEY POINTS: • Homogeneous Riclin octaose was a novel elicitor for biocontrol of plant pathogens. • Riclin octaose primed the salicylic acid-mediated defense response of potato plants. • Riclin octaose changed the metabolome profile of potato leaves over time.

Biosynthesis and prebiotic activity of a linear levan from a new Paenibacillus isolate.

Levan, a type of ß (2→6)-linked fructan, is a promising biopolymer with distinct properties and extensive applications in the fields of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, etc. However, the commercial availability of levan is still limited due to the relatively high production costs. Here, a new Paenibacillus sp. strain FP01 was isolated and identified as an efficient fructan producer with high yield (around 89.5 g/L fructan was obtained under 180 g/L sucrose) and conversation rate (49.7%). The fructan named Plev was structurally characterized as a linear levan-type fructan with a molecular mass of 3.11 × 106 Da. Aqueous solutions of Plev exhibited a non-Newtonian behavior at concentrations 3-5%. Heating and chilling had no obvious effects on apparent viscosities of Plev solutions. Plev also had good rheological stabilities toward pH (3-11) and metal salts (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+). Microbiome and metabolome analysis showed that Plev intervention increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and elevated the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces of mice. Taken together, Plev could be considered a potential thickener and prebiotic supplement in food industry.Key points• Paenibacillus sp. strain FP01 was identified as a high-efficient levan producer.• The levan Plev from FP01 exhibited good rheological properties and stabilities.• The in vivo prebiotic activities of linear levan were revealed.

ß-glucan Salecan Improves Exercise Performance and Displays Anti-Fatigue Effects through Regulating Energy Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Mice.

Fatigue induced by prolonged exercise not only leads to the decrease of exercise capacity, but also might be the cause of many diseases. In consideration of the side effects of pharmacological drugs, dietary supplements seem to be a better choice to ameliorate exercise-induced fatigue. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-fatigue effect of Salecan, a novel water-soluble β-glucan, during exercise and explore the underlying mechanisms. Male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were divided into five groups, including the Rest group and the other four Swim-groups treated with Salecan at 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day for four weeks. Salecan treatment markedly increased the exhaustive swimming time of mice in the forced swimming test. Exercise fatigue and injury-related biochemical biomarkers including lactate, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine kinase (CK), alanine transaminase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) were ameliorated by Salecan. Salecan reversed the decreased serum glucose levels and glycogen contents caused by exercise. In addition, Salecan improved oxidative stress induced by exercise through regulating Nrf2/HO⁻1/Trx signaling pathway. Thus, the beneficial effects of Salecan against fatigue may be due to its positive effects on energy metabolism and antioxidation defence. Our results suggest that Salecan could be a novel potential candidate for anti-fatigue dietary supplements.

Dietary salecan reverts partially the metabolic gene expressions and NMR-based metabolomic profiles from high-fat-diet-induced obese rats.

Previous studies suggest that dietary salecan (a water-soluble ß-glucan) effectively reduces high-fat-diet-induced adiposity through disturbing bile-acid-promoted emulsification in mice. However, the effects of salecan on metabolic genes and metabolites involved in lipid accumulation are mostly unknown. Here, we confirmed that dietary 3% and 6% salecan for 4 weeks markedly decreased fat accumulation in liver and adipose tissue in high-fat-diet rats, displaying a decrease in mRNA levels of SREBP1-C, FAS, SCD1 and ACC1 involved in de novo lipogenesis and a reduction of levels of GPAT1, DGAT1 and DGAT2 related to triglyceride synthesis. Dietary salecan also increased the mRNA levels of PPARα and CYP7A1, which are related to fatty acid oxidation and cholesterol decomposition, respectively. In the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomic analysis, both the serum and liver metabolite profiles differed among the control groups, and the metabolic profiles of the salecan groups were shifted toward that of the low-fat-diet group. Metabolites analysis showed that salecan significantly increased hepatic glutathione and betaine levels which are related to regulation of cellular reactive oxygen species. These data demonstrate that dietary salecan not only disturbed fat digestion and absorption but also influenced lipid accumulation and metabolism in diet-induced obesity.

Salecan diet increases short chain fatty acids and enriches beneficial microbiota in the mouse cecum.

Salecan, a linear extracellular polysaccharide consisting of ß-(1,3)-D-glucan, has potential applications in the food industry due to its excellent toxicological profile and rheological properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with 8% Salecan on the gastrointestinal microbiota in mice. In the Salecan group, the following significant differences (p<0.05) from the cellulose group were found: increased body weight gain, greater mass of cecum and cecal contents, and higher butyrate concentrations in the cecal and colonic contents at wk 4. Moreover, populations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium increased 3- and 6-fold, respectively, in the cecal contents of mice consuming Salecan. These results suggest that the dietary incorporation of Salecan, by providing SCFAs and increasing beneficial microbiota, may be beneficial in improving gastrointestinal health, and have relevance to the use of Salecan as a dietary supplement for human consumption.

Supplementation of the diet with Salecan attenuates the symptoms of colitis induced by dextran sulphate sodium in mice.

As a water-soluble extracellular ß-glucan produced by Agrobacterium sp. ZX09, Salecan has an excellent toxicological profile and exerts multiple physiological effects. The aims of the present study were to investigate the protective effects of a Salecan diet in the well-defined dextran sulphate sodium (DSS) model of experimental murine colitis and to elucidate the mechanism involved in its effects with special attention being paid to its effect on the production of TNF-α, a primary mediator involved in the inflammatory response. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a diet supplemented with either 4 or 8 % Salecan for 26 d and DSS was administered to induce acute colitis during the last 5 d of the experimental period. Several clinical and inflammatory parameters as well as mRNA expression of TNF-α and Dectin-1 were evaluated. The results indicated that the dietary incorporation of Salecan attenuated the severity of DSS colitis as evidenced by the decreased disease activity index, reduced severity of anaemia, attenuated changes in colon architecture and reduced colonic myeloperoxidase activity. This protection was associated with the down-regulation of TNF-α mRNA levels, which might derive from its ability to increase Dectin-1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, the present study suggests that Salecan contributes to the reduction of colonic damage and inflammation in mice with DSS-induced colitis and holds promise as a new, effective nutritional supplement in the management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Tumoral cytotoxic and antioxidative phenylpropanoid glycosides in Smilax riparia A. DC.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Smilax riparia A. DC., known as "Niu-Wei-Cai" in China, is distributed through the south and middle of China. The roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia have been used not only as traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of bronchitis, lumbago of renal asthenia, traumatic injury, asthenia edema, and cancer but also as edible wild herbs in some areas of China. AIM OF THE STUDY: To identify the phytochemicals in the roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia and to investigate their antioxidant activities and cytotoxicities toward several tumor cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four fractions and five phenylpropanoid glycosides were obtained from roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia under bioassay-guided screenings. The structures of five compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods and compared with published data. We evaluated their antioxidant activities and their cytotoxicities on five cancer cell lines: human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), human hepatocellular carcinoma (SMMC-7721), human lung cancer (A-549), human breast cancer (MCF-7), and human colon cancer (SW480). RESULTS: Of the five glycosides, one new compound (3, smilaside P) was isolated from an EtOAc fraction. Compound 1 was cytotoxic toward HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480 (IC50 2.70, 3.80, 11.91, 3.79, and 3.93 µM, respectively). Moreover, compounds 1-3 showed moderate scavenging activities against the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (IC50 339.58, 330.66, 314.49 µM, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Five phenylpropanoid glycosides were reported for the first time from this TCM. Each was studied, as observed here for the first time, in the cytotoxic experiments toward HL-60, SMMC-7721, and SW480 cell lines. Compound 1, bearing three feruloyl groups and three acetyl groups, had the greatest cytotoxicity toward the five tumor cell lines. Compounds 1-3 showed moderate antioxidant activities. All results reflect that compounds 1-3 are cytotoxic for a wide variety of cancer cell lines of differing tissue origins and that the cytotoxicities of these compounds may be related to their antioxidant activities.

A novel soluble ß-1,3-D-glucan salecan reduces adiposity and improves glucose tolerance in high-fat diet-fed mice.

Salecan is a recently identified water-soluble viscous extracellular ß-1,3-D-glucan polysaccharide from an Agrobacterium species. It is a high-molecular-mass polymer (about 2 × 106 Da) and composed of a linear chain of glucosyl residues linked through a repeat unit of seven ß-(1,3) and two α-(1,3) glucosidic bonds. In the present study, we examined the effects of dietary Salecan fed at 2 and 5 % in a high-fat diet (64 % energy) in C57BL/6J mice. After 6 weeks, mice fed 2 and 5 % Salecan had significantly lower body weight, fat mass and percentage of body fat mass compared with those fed a high-fat cellulose (control) diet. Both the Salecan groups significantly and dose-dependently improved glucose tolerance, with a 9 and 26 % reduction of glucose AUC, respectively. Liver and adipose tissue weights were also significantly decreased by the Salecan treatment. Supplementation with 5 % Salecan led to lower serum TAG, total cholesterol (TC) and HDL-cholesterol (52, 18 and 19 %, respectively) and lower hepatic TAG by 56 % and TC by 22 % compared with the high-fat cellulose control group. Dietary Salecan intake caused an obvious elevation of fat in the faeces. Supplementation with Salecan disturbed bile acid-promoted emulsification and reduced the size of emulsion droplets in vitro. These results indicate that Salecan decreases fat absorption, improves glucose tolerance and has biologically important, dose-related effects on reducing high-fat diet-induced obesity.

Biodegradation of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol by Rhodococcus sp. isolated from a picric acid-contaminated soil.

A picric acid-degrading bacterium, strain NJUST16, was isolated from a soil contaminated by picric acid and identified as a member of Rhodococcus sp. based on 16S rRNA sequence. The degradation assays suggested that the strain NJUST16 could utilize picric acid as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. The isolate grew optimally at 30 degrees C and initial pH 7.0-7.5 in the mineral salts medium supplemented with picric acid. It was basically consistent with degradation of picric acid by the isolate. Addition of nitrogen sources such as yeast extract and peptone accelerated the degradation of picric acid. However, the stimulation was concentration dependent. The degradation was accompanied by release of stoichiometric amount of nitrite and acidification. The degradation of picric acid at relatively high concentrations (>3.93 mM) demonstrated that the degradation was both pH and nitrite dependent. Neutral and slightly basic pH was crucial to achieve high concentrations of picric acid degradation by the NJUST16 strain.

[The effect of Chinese medicine yiqihuoxuetang on T-lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood of infertile men with antisperm antibodies].

OBJECTIVES: To study whether Chinese Medicine Yiqihuoxuetang(YQHXT) could inhibit antisperm antibodies in infertile men, and to explore the therapeutical mechanism of YQHXT. METHODS: Thirty infertile men with antisperm antibodies took YQHXT continuously for 60 days. Indirect immuno-fluorescence technique (IFT) was used to detect the levels of CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD4/CD8 ratio before and after treatment. RESULTS: CD4 value and CD4/CD8 ratio after treatment were significantly lower than before treatment (P < 0.05); CD8 value became significantly higher(P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that YQHXT could inhibit antisperm antibodies by keeping the balance of T-lymphocyte subpopulation in immunoinfertile men.