Novel Oxidation Oligomer of Chlorogenic Acid and (-)-Epigallocatechin and Its Quantitative Analysis during the Processing of Keemun Black Tea.

Not only do flavan-3-ols participate in the formation of chromogenic oxidation products such as theaflavins, but chlorogenic acid (3-caffeoylquinic acid, CQA) is also involved in the enzymatic oxidation during black tea processing. The critical oxidation product of CQA and (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC) were identified as an adduct containing benzobicyclo[3.2.2]nonenone structure, which was named as the dichlorogeniccatechin (DCGC) oligomer. It was composed of two molecules of CQA and one molecule of EGC. The effects of the initial reactant ratio and reaction time on the generation of DCGC were also analyzed. A high proportion of CQA promoted the production of DCGC, but a high proportion of EGC inhibited the DCGC formation. In addition, the content of DCGC in Keemun black tea during processing was determined. The content of DCGC highly increased after withering but decreased after drying. This study provides a new perspective for the investigation of other oxidation oligomers in black tea.

Comprehensive applications of metabolomics on tea science and technology: Opportunities, hurdles, and perspectives.

With the development of metabolomics analytical techniques, relevant studies have increased in recent decades. The procedures of metabolomics analysis mainly include sample preparation, data acquisition and pre-processing, multivariate statistical analysis, as well as maker compounds' identification. In the present review, we summarized the published articles of tea metabolomics regarding different analytical tools, such as mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. The metabolite variation of fresh tea leaves with different treatments, such as biotic/abiotic stress, horticultural measures, and nutritional supplies was reviewed. Furthermore, the changes of chemical composition of processed tea samples under different processing technologies were also profiled. Since the identification of critical or marker metabolites is a complicated task, we also discussed the procedure of metabolite identification to clarify the importance of omics data analysis. The present review provides a workflow diagram for tea metabolomics research and also the perspectives of related studies in the future.

Effectiveness of Hypertonic Dextrose Injection (Prolotherapy) in Plantar Fasciopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the effectiveness of hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy (DPT) in plantar fasciopathy (PF) compared with other non-surgical treatments. DATA SOURCES: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Global Health, Ovid Nursing Database, Dimensions, and WHO ICTRP were searched from inception to April 30th, 2022. STUDY SELECTION: Two independent reviewers selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of DPT in PF compared with non-surgical treatments. Outcomes included pain intensity, foot and ankle function, and plantar fascia thickness. DATA EXTRACTION: Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction. Risk of bias (RoB) assessment was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool, and certainty of evidence was assessed with Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). DATA SYNTHESIS: Eight RCTs (n=469) met the inclusion criteria. Pooled results favored the use of DPT versus normal saline (NS) injections in reducing pain (weighted mean difference [WMD] -41.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] -62.36 to -21.08; P<.01; low certainty evidence) and improving function [WMD -39.04; 95% CI -55.24 to -22.85; P<.01; low certainty evidence] in the medium term. Pooled results also showed corticosteroid (CS) injections was superior to DPT in reducing pain in the short term [standardized mean difference 0.77; 95% CI 0.40 to 1.14; P<.01; moderate certainty evidence]. Overall RoB varied from "some concerns" to "high". The overall certainty of evidence presented ranges from very low to moderate based on the assessment with the GRADE approach. CONCLUSION: Low certainty evidence demonstrated that DPT was superior to NS injections in reducing pain and improving function in the medium term, but moderate certainty evidence showed that it was inferior to CS in reducing pain in the short term. Further high-quality RCTs with standard protocol, longer-term follow-up, and adequate sample size are needed to confirm its role in clinical practice.

Loading Drugs in Natural Phospholipid Bilayers of Cell Membrane Shells to Construct Biomimetic Nanocomposites for Enhanced Tumor Therapy.

Drug-based oncotherapy is seriously challenged by insufficient drug accumulation at tumor sites, mainly resulting from low drug loading efficiency and poor tumor-targeting ability of drug carriers. We herein proposed a "one-stone, two-bird" strategy to circumvent both obstacles, utilizing the source cancer cell membrane (CM) as a dual-function carrier to simultaneously achieve sufficient drug loading and homologous tumor targeting. Combining the use of TPGS (d-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate) to inhibit the drug efflux process of drug-resistant tumor, we constructed core-shell-structured nanocomposites CMGNPs consisting of ICG (indocyanine green)/DOX (doxorubicin)-loaded, TPGS/OA (oleic acid)-stabilized upconversion nanoparticles as the core and ICG-loaded MCF7/ADR CMs as the shell, for combined chemo/phototherapy of MCF7/ADR tumor. The employment of phospholipid bilayers of CMs as natural pockets for extra drug loading while preserving the homologous targeting ability greatly enhanced drug concentration at tumor sites, endowing CMGNPs with excellent therapeutic efficacy. Our effort provides a versatile approach for facilitating drug delivery in diverse therapeutic systems.

Effects of Hypertonic Dextrose Injection (Prolotherapy) in Lateral Elbow Tendinosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the effectiveness of hypertonic dextrose prolotherapy (DPT) on pain intensity and physical functioning in patients with lateral elbow tendinosis (LET) compared with other active non-surgical treatments. DATA SOURCES: Systematic search of Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, Dimensions, Global Health, NHS Health Technology Assessment, Allied and Complementary Medicine, and OVID nursing database from inception to June 15, 2021, without language restrictions. STUDY SELECTION: Two reviewers independently identified parallel or crossover randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of DPT in LET. The search identified 245 records; data from 8 studies (354 patients) were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed included studies. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool was used to evaluate risk of bias. The Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to assess quality of the evidence. DATA SYNTHESIS: Pooled results favored the use of DPT in reducing tennis elbow pain intensity compared with active controls at 12 weeks postenrollment, with a standardized mean difference of -0.44 (95% confidence interval, -0.88 to -0.01, P=.04) and of moderate heterogeneity (I2=49%). Pooled results also favored the use of DPT on physical functioning compared with active controls at 12 weeks, with Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores achieving a mean difference of -15.04 (95% confidence interval, -20.25 to -9.82, P<.001) and of low heterogeneity (I2=0.0%). No major related adverse events have been reported. CONCLUSIONS: DPT is superior to active controls at 12 weeks for decreasing pain intensity and functioning by margins that meet criteria for clinical relevance in the treatment of LET. Although existing studies are too small to assess rare adverse events, for patients with LET, especially those refractory to first-line treatments, DPT can be considered a nonsurgical treatment option in carefully selected patients. Further high-quality trials with comparison with other injection therapies are needed.

Investigation of thermal contaminants in coffee beans induced by roasting: A kinetic modeling approach.

The roasting-induced formation of thermal contaminants in coffee beans, including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), acrylamide (AA), furan (F), 2-methyl furan (2-MF), and 3-methyl furan (3-MF), was investigated using a kinetic modeling approach. Results showed that AA and 5-HMF formation and elimination occur simultaneously in coffee beans during roasting and that the related reactions follow first-order reaction kinetics. The concentrations of F, 2-MF, and 3-MF increased throughout the roasting experiment, and variations in the concentrations of these compounds during roasting could be best described by empirical, logistic model. The increase in weight loss and decrease in moisture content of the beans during roasting also displayed first-order reaction kinetics. High coefficients of determination (R2 > 0.981) were observed for all fitted models, and the reaction rate constants of all models followed the Arrhenius law.

Changes of pollen viability after preservation of Paeonia lactiflora in different provenances.

Pollen contains all the haploid genetic information of species and is of great significance to preserve germplasm resources safely and effectively. The acquisition of high quality materials is a very important step in germplasm preservation. This study compared the viability and physiological condition of Paeonia lactiflora pollen from several provenances after preservation, to explore the effect of provenance difference on pollen viability and physiological responses after preservation. The results showed that: the pollen viability of two cultivars were significantly different in provenances after preserved at -20 °C or liquid nitrogen (LN) for 3 months, the pollen viability of 'Fen Yu Nu' showed Lanzhou > Beijing > Luoyang > Heze, while the pollen viability of 'Zi Feng Chao Yang' showed Luoyang > Beijing > Heze. Similarly, the oxidative stress levels of the Paeonia lactiflora pollen after preservation with LN or -20 °C were also significantly different among the provenances, and there was a relationship between the viability and the oxidative stress levels produced by the provenances differences. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutamate reductase (GR) activity in pollen from different provenances were contrary to the changes of viability; while catalase (CAT), ascorbic acid peroxidase (APX), ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) were consistent with the changes of viability. The results indicated that the responses of antioxidant systems of two cultivars pollen to preservation with LN or -20 °C were different in provenances, and this difference was one of the reasons for the different viability of pollen after preservation with LN or -20 °C.

Targeting GNAQ in hypothalamic nerve cells to regulate seasonal estrus in sheep.

Kazakh sheep are typical seasonal estrus animals. Their reproductive system regulation mainly involves the complex regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA), which is also closely related to reproductive hormone secretion. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), synthesized and secreted by the hypothalamus, is the key to controlling sheep reproductive activity. We studied how GNAQ (G protein subunit alpha q) regulates estrus in sheep by controlling GnRH expression and secretion. We used hypothalamic nerve cells as the research model. GNAQ overexpression and RNA interference vectors were constructed and transfected into the hypothalamic nerve cells of fetal Kazakh sheep. qPCR, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect GNAQ gene expression in Kazakh ewe tissues and analyze its regulatory effect on GnRH expression in the hypothalamic nerve cells. The fetal sheep hypothalamic nerve cells were successfully isolated and cultured. qPCR and cell immunofluorescence showed that the purity of positive cells was >95%. The tissue expression profile showed that there were different degrees of GNAQ gene expression in the Kazakh ewe tissue. Expression levels were relatively higher in the hypothalamus, pituitary, brain, and uterine tissues. When GNAQ expression was downregulated in the hypothalamic nerve cells, the upstream genes KISS1 (kisspeptin), GPR54 (KISS1 receptor), and ER (estrogen receptor) were all upregulated, as were the downstream genes PLCB1 (phospholipase C beta 1), PRKCB (protein kinase C beta), and GNRH. At the same time, GnRH secretion levels were also upregulated. GNAQ regulated its downstream gene PLCB1 in the hypothalamic nerve cells, and directly regulated GnRH expression and secretion through the calcium and PRKC signaling pathways. GNAQ also regulated kisspeptin expression, subsequently regulating GnRH expression and secretion indirectly through the kisspeptin-GPR54 signaling pathway. Our results are of great importance for improving the reproductive performance of seasonal-estrus sheep.

Systematic review and pathway enrichment analysis of Chinese medicine in preventing recurrence and improving prognosis of cholelithiasis after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may improve the prognosis management of cholelithiasis patients after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy. To explore the evidence for this view, we systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of TCM for improving the prognosis of cholelithiasis after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy and performed functional pathway enrichment analysis of TCM target genes. METHODS: In this systematic review (SRs), we searched six Chinese or international databases to collect randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of TCM in preventing the recurrence of cholelithiasis after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy. The literature was independently screened by 2 reviewers, who then extracted the data. The Cochrane risk-of-bias and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) tools were used to assess the included studies' risk of bias and quality of evidence, respectively. And, the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses would be conducted on the TCM prescriptions in the included literature to find the effective component and mechanism of TCM in the prognosis management of gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy. Analysis in this research would be conducted by R 3.5.2 software. RESULTS: A total of 1,024 articles were retrieved, and 9 RCTs involving 926 participants were included after the step-by-step screening. The risk of bias for each important outcome in all the studies was "uncertain". The meta-analysis showed that compared with blank control, TCM prevented cholelithiasis by decreasing the recurrence rate, complications incidence, gallbladder wall thickness, and gallbladder contraction degree. But, there were no significant differences in the rate of the adverse reaction. The result of the GO and KEGG analysis revealed that the mechanism of prevention of TCM in gallstone recurrence may be related to the cholesterol metabolic pathway and that naringin from Glycyrrhiza may be the effective component in the prevention of recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Existing evidence suggests that the use of TCM may reduce the recurrence rate after gallbladder-preserving lithotripsy and this effect may be related to the flavonoid glycoside naringin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, but more RCTs with high quality in this area may be needed to have a robust conclusion.

Comparative study of the oxidation of cold-pressed and commercial refined camellia oil during storage with 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy.

The oxidation of cold-pressed and commercial refined camellia oil stored at room temperature for one year was comparatively studied by 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy. The oxidation of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) under the same conditions was further compared. The 1H NMR showed that no aldehydes were formed in the studied period. Coupled with the changes of unsaturated acyl groups, the oxidation degrees of the three oils could be obtained follow the order: commercial refined camellia oil > cold-pressed camellia oil > EVOO. The 31P NMR showed that the evolution of diacylglycerols (DGs) and ratio D in commercial refined camellia oil was fairly different from other two oils. Besides, the kinetics curves of unsaturated acyl groups and ratio D both fit to an exponential equation with high coefficients which indicated that the oxidation of the studied oils progressed in an exponential way with storage time at room temperature.

Determination of the Oxidative Stability of Camellia Oils Using a Chemometrics Tool Based on 1H NMR Spectra and α-Tocopherol Content.

This study, for the first time, predicts oxidative stability in camellia oils by partial least squares (PLS) built with proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and α-tocopherol content. The prediction models were established by the PLS method. Outlier detection, latent variables optimization, data pretreatment, and important variables selection were applied for models optimization. All the developed models exhibited good performance as indicated by R2 > 0.895 and root mean square error of estimation and root mean square error of prediction less than 0.322 and 0.307. For verification of the contribution of 1H NMR spectra and α-tocopherol for prediction performance, a PLS model with fatty acids composition instead of 1H NMR spectra and one with only 1H NMR spectra as input variables were developed, respectively. The results showed that the model based on 1H NMR data was more accurate and precise than that based on fatty acid composition data. And the performance of the models was significantly degraded without α-tocopherol as input variables.

Comparison of Furans Formation and Volatile Aldehydes Profiles of Four Different Vegetable Oils During Thermal Oxidation.

The evolution of volatile aldehydes and the conversion of oxygenated ityß-unsaturated aldehydes (OαßUAs) into furans were compared in four vegetable oils (soybean oil, olive oil [OVO], peanut oil [PO], and perilla oil [PAO]) thermally oxidized at temperatures of 150, 180, and 210 °C for 10 hr/day over a 3-day period. Results showed that 2 alkyl furans and 23 volatile aldehydes including 4 toxic OdßUAs were detected by GC-MS. The original fatty acid compositions of the oils played a key role in the type and concentration of those volatile compounds. 4-Hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and ethyl furan were only detected in PAO with a high content of linolenic acid, while the greatest level of pentyl furan was detected in PO with abundant linoleic acid. Greater amounts of 4-hydroxy-(E)-2-nonenal (HNE) and 4-oxo-(E)-2-nonenal (ONE) were formed in the OVO with abundant oleic acid. The close relativity of HHE and ethyl furan was also demonstrated. With principal component analysis, these vegetable oils could be discriminated based on their fatty acids and volatile compounds. The loading plot confirmed that HHE and ethyl furan were derived from the linolenic acid oxidation and degradation. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The chemometric results showed that the formation of the volatile components during heating in different vegetable oils has close correlation with the original fatty acids composition of vegetable oils. Our research has also confirmed the presence of toxic OɑßUAs in oils after heating. Considering that they are proven to generate lots of degenerative diseases, further studies are needed to establish the risk level of using certain oils in frying and seek effective methods to inhibit their formation.

1H NMR combined with PLS for the rapid determination of squalene and sterols in vegetable oils.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) combined with partial least squares (PLS) was developed for the rapid determination of squalene and sterols (brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and ß-sitosterol) in 119 vegetable oils from 7 different species. The 1H NMR spectra of these oil samples were correlated to the reference value determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method by PLS regression, using outlier removal, selection of input X-variables and data pretreatments. Auto-scaling (UV) was chosen as the best pre-processing for the PLS models of stigmasterol, ß-sitosterol, and squalene. Pareto variance (Par) was more suitable for the PLS model of brassicasterol. The model for squalene was further improved by a reduced number of variables with variable importance for the projection (VIP) scores technique. The study demonstrated the potential application of NMR coupled with PLS as a rapid and nondestructive technique for the routine analysis of squalene and sterols in vegetable oils.

Prediction of fatty acid composition in camellia oil by 1H NMR combined with PLS regression.

A rapid method for the determination of fatty acid (FA) composition in camellia oils was developed based on the 1H NMR technique combined with partial least squares (PLS) method. Outliers detection, LVs optimization and data pre-processing selection were explored during the model building process. The results showed the optimal models for predicting the content of C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA were achieved by Pareto scaling (Par) pretreatment, with correlation coefficient (R2) above 0.99, the root mean square error of estimation and prediction (RMSEE, RMSEP) lower than 0.954 and 0.947, respectively. Mean-centering (Ctr) was more suitable for the model of C16:0 and C18:0 with the best performance indicators (R2 ≥ 0.945, RMSEE ≤ 0.377, RMSEP ≤ 0.212). This study indicated that 1H NMR has the potential to be applied as a rapid and routine method for the analysis of FA composition in camellia oils.

Comparison of (poly)phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of pomace extracts from kiwi and grape juice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenolic profile of grape and kiwi juice pomace by HPLC-ESI-MS, and their correlation with antioxidant properties determined with DPPH, FRAP and OH scavenging assays. A total of 32 compounds have been identified including anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids. Significantly higher relative amounts of anthocyanin monoglucosides, flavan-3-ols (catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin), and flavonols (quercetin and its derivatives) were found for grape pomace. Whereas kiwi pomace contained higher amounts of quinic acid, caffeic acid and its derivatives. Although grape pomace had higher total phenolic content (TPC), it showed lower OH scavenging capacity than kiwi pomace, but better DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power. This indicated that the antioxidant activities do not only rely on the TPC but also associate with their phenolic profiles. Overall the two pomaces could potentially be exploited as an inexpensive source of natural antioxidants for food production.

1H NMR combined with chemometrics for the rapid detection of adulteration in camellia oils.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and chemometrics were employed to detect the adulteration of camellia oil (CAO) with 3 different cheap vegetable oils. With the intensity of 15 selected 1H NMR signals as input variables, principal component analysis (PCA) showed good group clustering results for pure and nonpure CAO, but unsatisfied identification accuracy for the adulterated oil types, indicating relatively small difference among those oils. Whereas these difference could be revealed by orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), with identification accuracy higher than 90%. Partial least squares (PLS) was further applied for the prediction of adulteration level in CAO. With less than 6 variables screened out by variable importance in the projection (VIP) scores as potential key markers, the developed PLS models showed better accuracy. The prediction results for 10 hold-out samples also confirmed that this method was accurate and fast for the detection of CAO adulteration.

Recovery of dietary fiber and polyphenol from grape juice pomace and evaluation of their functional properties and polyphenol compositions.

The present work aimed at the recovery and characterization of dietary fiber and polyphenolic compounds extracted from red grape pomace, a by-product generated after grape fruit processing. High contents of total DF were found in the dietary fiber extracts (57.24%), whereas insoluble fiber was the major fraction (51.70%). And it showed good functional properties, including swelling capacity (4.01-8.32 mL g-1), water holding capacity (1.91-4.23 g g-1) and oil holding capacity (0.59-0.65 g g-1). After separation from the dietary fiber, phenolic extracts with high concentrations of total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids, showed high antioxidant activities, while the separated dietary fiber showed little antioxidant activities. This indicated that the phenolic composition is essential for the antioxidant activity of "antioxidant dietary fiber (ADF)". The identification of individual polyphenols was performed applying the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS technique and 31 compounds have been identified belonging to 4 groups, including anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids. Based on this study, we believe grape juice pomace could potentially be exploited as an inexpensive source of natural dietary fiber and phenolics and possibly used as a functional food ingredient.