The Manufacturing Process of Kiwifruit Fruit Powder with High Dietary Fiber and Its Laxative Effect.

Kiwifruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and other functional components, and it has long been used as a functional food to treat intestinal ailments such as constipation. The current research made full use of the kiwifruit, the juice was prepared by microencapsulation, and the dietary fiber in kiwifruit pomace was modified by enzymatic hydrolysis and grinding, then, the two were mixed to obtain an ultra-micro kiwifruit powder (UKP). In addition, the laxative effect of the UKP was verified by a diphenoxylate induced constipated mice model. The results demonstrated that compared with the raw samples, the retention rate of vitamin C, lutein and catechin in UKP were 83.3%, 81.9% and 88.3%, respectively, thus effectively avoiding the loss of functional components during the processing of kiwifruit. Moreover, α-amylase, protease and the ball milling process effectively reduced the size of dietary fiber in kiwifruit pomace, and its water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC) and swelling capacity (SWC) were enhanced by 1.26, 1.65 and 1.10 times, respectively. Furthermore, to analyze the laxative effect of the UKP, a constipation mice model was established by diphenoxylate treatment (5 mg·kg-1, i.g.) for the last week, with or without UKP supplementation (2.4 g·kg-1 B.W. per day) for 4 weeks. The results demonstrated that UKP significantly increased feces condition (fecal output and dejecta moisture content, gut transit (the intestinal propulsion rates) and substance P (SP) levels in portal vein plasma, and it decreased the whole gut transit time and mucinogen granules secreted by goblet cell in constipated mice.

[Correlation of the electric excitability treated with electroacupuncture at different acupoints and the prognosis of Bell's palsy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation of the electric excitability treated with electroacupuncture (EA) at different acupoints and the prognosis of Bell's palsy, using the Logistic regression analysis. METHODS: A total of 93 patients of Bell's palsy were collected in the retrospective analysis. Acupuncture was applied to Cuanzu (BL 2), Yangbai (GB 14), Yingxiang (LI 20), Dicang (ST 4), Xiaguan (ST 7) and Qianzheng (Extra point) on the affected side. The electric stimulation was added at the three pairs of points, named Cuanzu (BL 2) and Yangbai (GB 14) (A group), Yingxiang (LI 20) and Dicang (ST 4) (B group) and Qianzheng (Extra point) and Xiaguan (ST 7) (C group), continue wave, 1 Hz at current frequency, for 30 min in one treatment. EA was given once every two days. The endpoint outcome evaluation was conducted when the facial nerve function was recovered completely after treatment or in 16 weeks after onset. On the 8th day of onset, the prognosis-related indexes were collected, such as the electric excitability grade in the A, B and C groups, gender, age, the facial nerve lesion segment and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The Logistic regression analysis was conducted on these indexes and the prognosis. RESULTS: The single factor Logistic regression analysis showed that the gender, age and the electric excitability of the C group were negatively correlated with the prognosis statistically (P>0.05). T2DM, the facial nerve lesion segment and the electric excitability of the A and B groups were positively correlated with the prognosis statistically (P<0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that the electric excitability in the A and B groups was the independent predictor of Bell's palsy prognosis (P<0.05). OR values were 8.410 (1.176-60.113) and 12.589 (1.355-116.922) respectively. CONCLUSION: The electric excitability of EA at the pairs of Cuanzu (BL 2) and Yangbai (GB 14), and of Yingxiang (LI 20) and Dicang (ST 4) is one of the indexes for the prognosis evaluation of Bell's palsy. It contributes to the early identification of the severity of facial nerve lesion, the regulation of the therapeutic regimen and the improvement of the clinical effects.

Thirty cases of the blood-stasis type prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc treated by acupuncture at the xi (cleft) point plus herbal intervention injection.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical therapeutic effects and explore the mechanism of acupuncture at the xi (cleft) points combined with herbal intervention injection for treatment of prolapse of the lumbar intervertebral disc with TCM symptoms and signs of blood stasis. METHODS: The 60 cases in this series were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, 30 cases in each group. The patients in the treatment group were treated by acupuncture at Jiaji L4-S1, Waiqiu (GB 36), Weizhong (BL 40) and Xiaxi (GB 43) plus intervention injection of Gegensu Zhusheye (Puerarin Injectio). The patients of the control group were given the routine acupuncture combined with injection of Gegensu Zhusheye (Puerarin Injectio) into the Ashi points. The changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6) and hemodynamics were observed before and after treatment in both the two groups. RESULTS: The total therapeutic effect in the treatment group was obviously better (P < 0.05) and the treatment course was obviously shorter than that of the control group (P < 0.01). After the treatment, the total score, the visual analog scale (VAS) pain-evaluating score, and the score in straight-leg raising test were obviously improved in both the two groups, in which the improvement in the treatment group shown by the score in straight-leg raising test and the total score superior to that of the control group (P < 0.05). The IL-6 level, red blood cell ratio, K value of blood sedimentation equation, and whole blood high shearing specific viscosity were improved in both the two groups, but the treatment group showed better improvement than that of the control group in the red blood cell ratio, K value of blood sedimentation, and IL-6 level (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment group was superior to the control group in improvement of the symptoms and signs, the daily life ability, and in pain alleviation. The mechanism is possibly related with the improvement in the IL-6 level and hemodynamic indexes, which may promote the subsidence of inflammation of the nerve roots.