Facile fabrication of carbon nanotube hollow microspheres as a fiber coating for ultrasensitive solid-phase microextraction of phthalic acid esters in tea beverages.

The efficient extraction of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) is challenging due to their extremely low concentration, complicated matrices and hydrophilicity. Herein, hollow microspheres, as an ideal coating, possess significant potential for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) due to their fascinating properties. In this study, multiwalled carbon nanotube hollow microspheres (MWCNT-HMs) were utilized as a fiber coating for the SPME of PAEs from tea beverages. MWCNT-HMs were obtained by dissolving the polystyrene (PS) cores with organic solvents. Interestingly, MWCNT-HMs well maintain the morphology of the MWCNTs@PS precursors. The layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of MWCNTs on PS microsphere templates was achieved through electrostatic interactions. Six PAEs, di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DIBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP), were selected as target analytes for assessing the efficiency of the coating for SPME. The stirring rate, sample solution pH and extraction time were optimized by using the Box-Behnken design. Under optimal working conditions, the proposed MWCNT-HMs/SPME was coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) to achieve high enrichment factors (118-2137), wide linearity (0.0004-10 µg L-1), low limits of detection (0.00011-0.0026 µg L-1) and acceptable recovery (80.2-108.5%) for the detection of PAEs. Therefore, the MWCNT-HM coated fibers are promising alternatives in the SPME method for the sensitive detection of PAEs at trace levels in tea beverages.

Genome-wide identification and gene expression analysis of the 14-3-3 gene family in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

BACKGROUND: 14-3-3 proteins are essential in regulating various biological processes and abiotic stress responses in plants. Although 14-3-3 proteins have been studied in model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, there is a lack of research on the 14-3-3 gene family in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). RESULTS: A total of 18 14-3-3 genes encoding proteins containing a typical conserved PF00244 domain were identified by genome-wide analysis in potatoes. The St14-3-3 gene family members were unevenly distributed across the chromosomes, and gene structure analysis showed that gene length and intron number varied greatly among the members. Phylogenetic analysis of 14-3-3 proteins in potatoes and other plant species showed that they could be divided into two distinct groups (ε and non-ε). Members in the ε group tended to have similar exon-intron structures and conserved motif patterns. Promoter sequence analysis showed that the St14-3-3 gene promoters contained multiple hormone-, stress-, and light-responsive cis-regulatory elements. Synteny analysis suggested that segmental duplication events contributed to the expansion of the St14-3-3 gene family in potatoes. The observed syntenic relationships between some 14-3-3 genes from potato, Arabidopsis, and tomato suggest that they evolved from a common ancestor. RNA-seq data showed that St14-3-3 genes were expressed in all tissues of potatoes but that their expression patterns were different. qRT-PCR assays revealed that the expression levels of nearly all tested St14-3-3 genes were affected by drought, salt, and low-temperature stresses and that different St14-3-3 genes had different responses to these stresses. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, genome-wide identification, evolutionary, and expression analyses of the 14-3-3 gene family in potato were conducted. These results provide important information for further studies on the function and regulation of St14-3-3 gene family members in potatoes.

Huoxuezhitong capsule ameliorates MIA-induced osteoarthritis of rats through suppressing PI3K/ Akt/ NF-κB pathway.

Huoxuezhitong capsule (HXZT, activating blood circulation and relieving pain capsule), has been applied for osteoarthritis since 1974. It consists of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen ex C. H., Boswellia sacra, Borneol, Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker, Pyritum. However, the direct effects of HXZT on osteoarthritis and the underlying mechanisms were poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the analgesia effect of HXZT on MIA-induced osteoarthritis rat and the underlying mechanisms. The analgesia and anti-inflammatory effect of HXZT on osteoarthritis in vivo were tested by the arthritis model rats induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA).. Mechanistic studies confirmed that HXZT could inhibit the activation of NF-κB and down-regulate the mRNA expression of related inflammatory factors in LPS-induced RAW264.7 and ATDC5 cells. Furtherly, in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells, HXZT could suppress NF-κB via inhibiting PI3K/Akt pathway. Taken together, HXZT capsule could ameliorate MIA-induced osteoarthritis of rats through suppressing PI3K/ Akt/ NF-κB pathway.