Preparation of pectin-coated and chitosan-coated phenylethanoside liposomes: Studies on characterization, stability, digestion and release behavior.

In this paper, the effects of extrusion, ultrasound on physicochemical properties of liposomes were studied, and the liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection combined with extrusion-ultrasound. In addition, the quality of PhGs lips, pectin-coated PhGs lips (P-lips) and chitosan-coated PhGs lips (C-lips) was evaluated by the average particle size, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and other indicators, which indicated that the nanoparticles had been successfully prepared. Compared with extrusion or ultrasonic operation alone, the EEs of ethanol injection combined with extrusion-ultrasonic increased by 8 % and 18 % respectively. Subsequently, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and DSC thermal analysis showed that PhGs in PhGs lips may produce hydrogen bonding forces with phospholipids, and pectin and chitosan in P-lips and C-lips were not only coated on the surface of PhGs lips, but also might have some interaction between them. Cell experiments showed that PhGs lips, P-lips and C-lips can effectively improve the bioavailability of PhGs. In addition, the storage stability of P-lips and C-lips was not significantly improved compared to PhGs lips, but their digestive stability was significantly improved, and the final retention rate in simulated intestinal fluid was about 25 % higher than that of PhGs lips.

Quantitative proteomics reveals the mechanism of slightly acidic electrolyzed water-induced buckwheat sprouts growth and flavonoids enrichment.

Previous work has demonstrated that slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) can promote growth and nutrient enrichment of buckwheat sprouts. In this study, iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of SAEW-induced buckwheat sprouts was conducted to explore its mechanism of action. The results showed that 11, 10 and 14 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) related to energy metabolism, oxidative stress and flavonoid biosynthesis accumulated upwards and downwards, respectively, in SAEW-treated buckwheat. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 118 GO categories were in relation to molecular function. In the SAEW group, a total of 9 DEPs (5 up-regulated) were mapped to 10 significantly enriched KEGG pathways. SAEW induced flavonoid enrichment by modulating zymoproteins (e.g. phenylalanine ammonialyase and flavonol synthase) in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway. qRT-PCR results had consistency with abundance levels of their corresponding proteins. These findings are likely to reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying the biochemical enrichment of buckwheat sprouts by SAEW.

Dual effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) treatment on the accumulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and rutin in germinated buckwheat.

In the present study, the dual effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) treatment on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and rutin accumulation of germinated buckwheat were evaluated during germination. The results showed that SAEW treatment (pH 5.83, ACC of 20.3 mg/L) could promote the accumulation of GABA and rutin in germinated buckwheat. The GABA and rutin contents of SAEW-germinated buckwheat reached 143.20 and 739.9 mg/100 g respectively, which is significantly higher than those of control (P<0.05). Moreover, SAEW treatment could increase the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL) and thus result in the GABA and rutin accumulation of germinated buckwheat. The results suggested that SAEW treatment could promote the rutin accumulation of germinated buckwheat by influencing phenylpropanoid secondary metabolic pathway instead of the inhibition of rutin degrading enzyme (RDE) activity. In addition, SAEW treatment had no adverse impact on the sprouts growth and could reduce the microbial populations of germinated buckwheat during germination.

Cannabisin B induces autophagic cell death by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway and S phase cell cycle arrest in HepG2 cells.

This study investigates the anticancer properties of cannabisin B, purified from hempseed hull, in HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells. The results indicate that cannabisin B significantly inhibited cell proliferation by inducing autophagic cell death rather than typical apoptosis. Cell viability transiently increased upon the addition of a low concentration of cannabisin B but decreased upon the addition of high concentrations. Cannabisin B-induced changes in cell viability were completely inhibited by pre-treatment with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), indicating that the induction of autophagy by cannabisin B caused cell death. Additionally, cannabisin B induced S phase cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, cannabisin B was found to inhibit survival signaling by blocking the activation of AKT and down-stream targets of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). These findings suggest that cannabisin B possesses considerable antiproliferative activity and that it may be utilised as a promising chemopreventive agent against hepatoblastoma disease.

The isolation and identification of two compounds with predominant radical scavenging activity in hempseed (seed of Cannabis sativa L.).

Forty samples were extracted from defatted kernels and hulls of two varieties of hempseed (Bama and Yunma No. 1) using 10 different polar solvent systems. The radical scavenging capacity of the extracts was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-pikrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) assays and the total phenolic content was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu's phenol reagent. The correlation analysis indicated that the antioxidants in hempseed belonged to phenolic and DPPH() assay was suitable for evaluating the radical scavenging activity. Two compounds, with predominant antiradical activity, were isolated in 60% ethanol extract of hempseed hull using macroporous resin absorption, LH-20 gel chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography methods, which were identified as N-trans-caffeoyltyramine and cannabisin B by high-resolution mass spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and ultraviolet data. The two compounds exhibited significant high DPPH() scavenging activity and protective effect against in vitro oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein compared with extracts from flaxseed, grape seed, and soybean. This suggests that hempseed hull extract is a potential source of natural antioxidants, which could be added to dietary supplements to help prevent oxidative stress.

Analytical characterization of Hempseed (seed of Cannabis sativa L.) oil from eight regions in China.

In this study, eight cultivars of hempseed were collected from different regions of China for analysis of physiochemical properties and chemical composition, as well as for seed indexes and proximate composition of seed kernel. The results indicated that Yunma No. 1 and Bama Huoma, with more than 50% oil and 30% protein in dehulled seed, could be considered as oil extraction material and protein source with respect to kernel yield. Iodine values ranging from 153.6 to 169.1 g/100 g reflected the high degree of unsaturation. The concentration of unsaturated fatty acids exceeded 90%, higher than most conventional vegetable oils. Moreover, polyunsaturated fatty acids ranged from 76.26% to 82.75% and were mainly composed of linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid with a ratio close to 3:1. γ-Tocopherol was found at an average concentration of 28.23 mg/100 g of hempseed oil. The results indicated that hempseed oil is a potentially valuable vegetable oil.