Population genetic variation and geographic distribution of suitable areas of Coptis species in China.

Introduction: The rhizomes of Coptis plants have been used in traditional Chinese medicine over 2000 years. Due to increasing market demand, the overexploitation of wild populations, habitat degradation and indiscriminate artificial cultivation of Coptis species have severely damaged the native germplasms of species in China. Methods: Genome-wide simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed using the genomic data of C. chinensis. Population genetic diversity and structure of 345 Coptis accessions collected from 32 different populations were performed based on these SSRs. The distribution of suitable areas for three taxa in China was predicted and the effects of environmental variables on genetic diversity in relation to different population distributions were further analyzed. Results: 22 primer pairs were selected as clear, stable, and polymorphic SSR markers. These had an average of 16.41 alleles and an average polymorphism information content (PIC) value of 0.664. In the neighbor-joining (N-J) clustering analysis, the 345 individuals clustered into three groups, with C. chinensis, C. chinensis var. brevisepala and C. teeta being clearly separated. All C. chinensis accessions were further divided into four subgroups in the population structure analysis. The predicted distributions of suitable areas and the environmental variables shaping these distributions varied considerably among the three species. Discussion: Overall, the amount of solar radiation, precipitation and altitude were the most important environmental variables influencing the distribution and genetic variation of three species. The findings will provide key information to guide the conservation of genetic resources and construction of a core reserve for species.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide's protective effects against PM2.5-induced cellular senescence in HUVECs.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure is strongly associated with vascular endothelial senescence, a process implicated in cardiovascular diseases. While there is existing knowledge on the impact of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on vascular endothelial damage, the protective mechanism of LBP against PM2.5-induced vascular endothelial senescence remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of PM2.5 exposure on vascular endothelial senescence and explored the intervention effects of LBP in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We found that PM2.5 exposure dose-dependently reduced cell viability and proliferation in HUVECs while increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Additionally, PM2.5 exposure inhibited the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Notably, PM2.5 exposure induced autophagy impairments and cellular senescence. However, LBP mitigated PM2.5-induced cell damage. Further studies demonstrated that correcting autophagy impairment in HUVECs reduced the expression of the senescence markers P16 and P21 induced by PM2.5. This suggests the regulatory role of autophagy in cellular senescence and the potential of LBP in improving HUVECs senescence. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanisms underlying PM2.5-induced cardiovascular toxicity and highlight the potential of LBP as a therapeutic agent for improving vascular endothelial health.

Analysis of Influencing Factors of Professional Identity of Nurses in Infection Department in the Post-Epidemic Era.

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand the factors that influence the professional identity of nurses working in infectious diseases departments following the COVID-19 epidemic. Additionally, the research aims to provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing nurses' professional identity in these departments. Methods: A total of 155 nurses from the infection departments of 5 hospitals in Guangdong Province were selected using a convenience sampling method. A locally designed general questionnaire, nurse occupational benefit scale, and occupational identity scale were employed for data collection. Single-factor linear analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to analyze the data. Results: The average occupational identity score of nurses in the infection departments was 105.50±18.94. Multiple linear regression analysis results indicated that several factors influenced professional identity, including family support, recognition from doctors, participation in integrated medical and nursing ward rounds, positive perception of professional benefits, and a sense of belonging to a team. Conclusion: In the post-epidemic era, the professional identity of nurses working in the infection departments is moderately affected by various factors, particularly the perception of occupational advantages post-exposure to the epidemic.

Fine-Scale analysis of both wild and cultivated horned galls provides insight into their quality differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Galla chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) produced due to the interaction between the Fordinae aphids and the Rhus plant species. Horned galls with high tannin content are the most widely cultivated gall type, and Wufeng county of Hubei province in China is the center of cultivation. However, long-term artificial cultivation and domestication of horned galls to meet the increasing production demand have led to quality degradation. Understanding the reasons underlying quality degradation is urgent for horned gall production and application. The present study used a combination of metabolic, genetic, and ecological analyses to investigate the quality and genetic differentiation of the horned galls under long-term domestication as well as the potential relationships between them. RESULTS: Analysis of gallic acid content and other three phenotypic traits (fresh weight, gall size, and wall thickness) revealed quality differentiation of horned galls collected from five locations in Wufeng, in which the cultivated samples from Wang Jiaping (WJP) showed the highest degradation. Genetic differentiation between the cultivated and wild Rhus chinensis trees in WJP, and between WJP and the other populations was detected based on SSR molecular markers, however, no significant difference in genetic structure was seen for the aphid populations. Among the various ecological factors examined, temperature was identified as the primary one affecting the quality of horned galls. CONCLUSIONS: Both genetic and ecological factors caused quality differentiation of horned galls. The collection of diverse germplasm of host trees and aphids will help reduce the quality degradation of horned galls in Wufeng.

Impact of climate change on the geographical distribution and niche dynamics of Gastrodia elata.

Background: Gastrodia elata is widely used in China as a valuable herbal medicine. Owing to its high medicinal and nutrient value, wild resources of G. elata have been overexploited and its native areas have been severely damaged. Understanding the impacts of climate change on the distribution of this endangered species is important for the conservation and sustainable use of G. elata. Methods: We used the optimized maximum entropy model to simulate the potential distribution of G. elata under contemporary and future time periods (1970-2000, 2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) and different climate change scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5). Under these conditions, we investigated the key environmental factors influencing the distribution of G. elata as well as the spatial and temporal characteristics of its niche dynamics. Results: With high Maxent model accuracy (AUCmean = 0.947 ± 0.012, and the Kappa value is 0.817), our analysis revealed that annual precipitation, altitude, and mean temperature of driest quarter are the most important environmental factors influencing the distribution of G. elata. Under current bioclimatic conditions, the potentially suitable area for G. elata in China is 71.98 × 104 km2, while the highly suitable region for G. elata growth is 7.28 × 104 km2. Our models for three future periods under four climate change scenarios indicate that G. elata can maintain stable distributions in southern Shaanxi, southwestern Hubei, and around the Sichuan basin, as these areas are highly suitable for its growth. However, the center of the highly suitable areas of G. elata shift depending on different climatic scenarios. The values of niche overlap for G. elata show a decreasing trend over the forecasted periods, of which the niche overlap under the SSP3-7.0 scenario shows the greatest decrease. Discussions: Under the condition of global climate change in the future, our study provides basic reference data for the conservation and sustainable utilization of the valuable and endangered medicinal plant G. elata. It is important to carefully choose the protection area of G. elata wild resources according the suitable area conditions modeled. Moreover, these findings will be valuable for providing insights into the breeding and artificial cultivation of this plant, including the selection of suitable areas for planting.

Genome-wide analysis of bHLH gene family in Coptis chinensis provides insights into the regulatory role in benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis.

Coptis chinensis Franch is a perennial species with high medical value. The rhizome of C. chinensis is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for more than 2000 years in China. Its principal active ingredients are benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors play an important regulatory role in the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. However, the bHLH genes in C. chinensis have not been described, and little is known about their roles in alkaloid biosynthesis. In this study, a total of 143 CcbHLH genes (CcbHLHs) were identified and unevenly distributed on nine chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis divided the 143 CcbHLH proteins into 26 subfamilies by comparison with Arabidopsis thaliana bHLH proteins. The majority CcbHLHs in each subgroup had similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties, conserved motif, intron/exon composition, and cis-acting elements of CcbHLHs were analyzed. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 30 CcbHLHs were significantly expressed in the rhizomes of C. chinensis. Co-expression analysis revealed that 11 CcbHLHs were highly positively correlated with contents of various alkaloids of C. chinensis. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid experiments verified that CcbHLH001 and CcbHLH0002 could interact with the promoters of berberine biosynthesis pathway genes CcBBE and CcCAS, suggesting their regulatory roles in BIA biosynthesis. This study provides comprehensive insights into the bHLH gene family in C. chinensis and will support in-depth functional characterization of CcbHLHs involved in the regulation of protoberberine-type alkaloid biosynthesis.

[Effective constituents of essential oil from Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis and anti-cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury mechanism: based on GC-MS, network pharmacology, and experimental verification].

Based on GC-MS and network pharmacology, the active constituents, potential targets, and mechanism of essential oil from Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis(EOGFA) against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury were explored, and the effective constituents were verified by experiment. To be specific, GC-MS was used identify the constituents of the volatile oil. Secondly, the targets of the constituents and disease were predicted by network pharmacology, and the drug-constituent-target network was constructed, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment of the core targets. Molecular docking was performed to investigate the binding affinity between the active constituents and the targets. Finally, SD rats were used for experimental verification. The I/R injury model was established, and the neurological behavior score, infarct volume, and pathological morphology of brain tissue were measured in each group. The content of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), interleukin-6(IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) by Western blot. A total of 22 active constituents and 17 core targets were screened out. The core targets were involved in 56 GO terms and the major KEGG pathways of TNF signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, and sphingolipid signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the active constituents had high affinity to the targets. The results of animal experiment suggested that EOGFA can alleviate the neurological impairment, decrease the cerebral infarct volume and the content of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, and down-regulate the expression of VEGF. The experiment verified the part results of network pharmacology. This study reflects the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics of EOGFA. The mechanism of its active constituents is related to TNF and VEGF pathways, which provides a new direction for in-depth research on and secondary development of Gleditsiae Fructus Abnormalis.

Two new withanolides from the whole plants of Physalis peruviana.

Two new withaphysalin-type withanolides (18-O-ethylwithaphysalin R and 5-O-ethylphysaminimin C, 1 and 2), along with twelve known withanolides (3-14), were purified and identified from Physalis peruviana L. The chemical structures of these new isolates were elucidated through analyzing spectroscopic and HRESIMS data. All the obtained metabolites were appraised for their potential antiproliferative activity against the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Compound 7 was discovered to exhibit potent activity with an IC50 value of 3.51 µM and compounds 2, 6 and 14 showed weak cytotoxic effect.

Polysaccharides from Pseudostellaria heterophylla modulate gut microbiota and alleviate syndrome of spleen deficiency in rats.

Pseudostellaria heterophylla, also called Tai-zi-shen (TZS) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is always used clinically to treat spleen deficiency symptoms. Polysaccharides in TZS have various pharmacological activities, including anti-diabetic, immune regulation, and myocardial protection. However, the relationship between the spleen-invigorating effects of TZS or its polysaccharides and intestinal flora are not clear. This study investigated the effects of TZS decoction (PHD) and polysaccharide (PHP) on immune function and intestinal flora in a rat model of spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS) induced by a decoction of raw rhubarb (RRD). PHD and PHP increased immune organ index, alleviated inflammatory cell filtration, and reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome. In addition, the production of butyric acid was promoted in PHD and PHP groups. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that PHD and PHP reduced the relative abundance of Firmicutes while increasing the one of Bacteroidetes; significantly increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and decreased the abundance of Rombutsia; and PHP significantly increased the abundance of Alloprevotella. And there was a significant positive correlation between the alleviation of SDS and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria. These findings suggested PHD and PHP, especially PHP, has a potential to relieve spleen deficiency by reducing intestinal inflammation, modulating structure and composition of gut microbiota, and promoting the production of butyric acid.

Effects of Pollen Sources on Fruit Set and Fruit Characteristics of 'Fengtangli' Plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) Based on Microscopic and Transcriptomic Analysis.

Adequate yield and fruit quality are required in commercial plum production. The pollen source has been shown to influence fruit set and fruit characteristics. In this study, 'Siyueli', 'Fenghuangli' and 'Yinhongli' were used as pollinizers of 'Fengtangli' plum. Additionally, self-pollination, mixed pollination, and open pollination were performed. We characterized the differences in pollen tube growth, fruit set and fruit quality among pollination combinations. 'Fengtangli' flowers pollinated by 'Fenghuangli' had more pistils with pollen tubes penetrating the ovary and the highest fruit set rate, while the lowest fruit set rate was obtained from self-pollination. In self-pollinated flowers, 33% of pistils had at least one pollen tube reaching the ovary, implying that 'Fengtangli' is partially self-compatible. Pollen sources affected 'Fengtangli' fruit size, weight, pulp thickness, soluble solids, and sugar content. Transcriptome analysis of 'Siyueli'-pollinated and 'Yinhongli'-pollinated fruits revealed 2762 and 1018 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the response to different pollen sources. DEGs were enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and MAPK signaling pathways. Our findings provide a reference for the selection of suitable pollinizers for 'Fengtangli' plum and promote future research on the metaxenia effect at the molecular level.

Investigating the Metabolic Level of Endogenous and Exogenous Substances on the Intervention of Traditional Chinese Medicine Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction in a Rat Orthotopic Liver Cancer Model.

Background: Fuzheng Yiliu decoction (FZYLD), a Chinese formula consisting of four herbs, can be clinically used as an adjuvant therapy after surgery or palliative treatment for advanced liver cancer. Methods: This study identified the endogenous and exogenous metabolites of FZYLD in rat serum to characterize the underlying mechanism of its antitumor activity, as well as relieving cancer-related weakness. An orthotopic transplantation rat model of HepG2 cells was established and administered with FZYLD by gastric perfusion for 14 days. Cardiopulmonary function and tail suspension test were used to evaluate the bodily weakness of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rats. Tumor weight and size were measured to calculate inhibition ratios. Serum of different concentrations of FZYLD was used to culture the 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diaxol-4-yl) amino]-2-deoxyglucose-labeled HepG2 cells. IC50 value was measured using MTT assay. Endogenous and exogenous metabolites in rat serum were detected using nuclear magnetic resonance or LC-MS/MS spectroscopy. Results: FZYLD improved cardiopulmonary function, decreased immobility time in tail suspension test, and yielded tumor inhibition ratios of up to 27%. Serum endogenous markers, such as lipoproteins (high- and low-density lipoproteins), glucose, and valine, and lactic acid metabolic disturbance were recovered, to some extent, in HCC rats. Exogenous metabolites, diosgenin, apigenin-7-O-acetyl-ß-D-glucoside, calycosin-7-glucoside, calycosin, ganoderic-acid-A, formononetin, and methylnissolin, became detectable in the blood. FZYLD-containing serum substantially inhibited the proliferation of HepG2-cells. IC50 value was found to be 24.31%. Further, we confirmed that FZYLD could revert energy and lipid metabolism disorders and that its constituents could be bioactive components that induce apoptosis in cancer cells. Conclusion: The present study explained the mechanism of the effect of FZYLD on body empty, fatigue, and low immunity in patients with cancer, offering an efficient way for research of natural compounds in traditional Chinese medicine.

Myofibrillar protein composite gels: effect of esterified potato starch, lard and peanut oil on the gel properties.

BACKGROUND: Heat-induced composite gels were prepared with 20 g kg-1 myofibrillar protein (MP) sol, 20 g kg-1 modified starch and 100 g kg-1 lipid pre-emulsified by MP in 0.6 mol L-1 NaCl, at pH 6.2. The effects of esterified potato starch (EPS) and emulsified lipid (lard or peanut oil) on the rheology, texture properties and nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of MP gel were evaluated. RESULTS: The addition of starch and lipid significantly improved the gel strength and water holding capacity (WHC) of the MP gel. Analysis of the relaxation time compared with the WHC tests showed that the variation range of the transverse T22 relaxation time of a gel was positively proportional to changes in WHC of the composite gel, and the lower the T22 relaxation time, the better the WHC of composite gel. Moreover, MP gel with starch and emulsified lard added at the same time has the lowest T2 relaxation time, and also the best WHC of the gel. Environmental scanning electron microscopy showed that emulsified oil droplets embedded the gaps in the protein network, and the gelatinized starch contributed to restrict the oil droplet size, resulting in thicker MP gel. CONCLUSION: Emulsified lipid and modified starch have an important influence on the rheology and microstructure of MP gels, indicating the subtle interaction between starch, lipid and protein. The results suggest the potential feasibility of modified starch and vegetable oil to improve the textural properties in comminuted meat products. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Studies on the oral absorption of cyclic peptides from Pseudostellaria heterophylla and interacting with membrane receptors.

Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax. (Taizishen, TZS) contains a variety of natural active cyclic-peptide compounds (CP). In this article, four kinds of CP monomers were isolated by HPLC and the structures were identified by mass spectrometry. The in vivo absorption of CP was detected by UPLC-MS/MS. The interaction between CP and membrane receptor was analyzed by SPR. As a result, the relative absorption rate of CP was Pesudostellarin B > Heterophyllin B > Pesudostellarin C > Pesudostellarin E. The difference in absorption rate of CP in vivo was related to its interaction with membrane receptors. The absorption mechanism of CP might be different. This is the first report that in vivo absorption study of different CP from TZS and explore its absorption mechanism, laying a theoretical foundation for the research and development of its oral drugs, and providing new ideas for the study of the absorption mechanism of CP from traditional Chinese medicine.

Efficacy and safety of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction in improving cancer-related fatigue and immunity of cervical carcinoma patients: A protocol of randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is essentially universal in cervical carcinoma patients. It develops rapidly, with physical and mental manifestations including generalized weakness, diminished concentration or attention, and it has a negative impact in overall quality of life. Buzhong Yiqi Decoction (BYD), a classical Chinese medical prescription, could be used for allergic rhinitis, gut microbiota disorders, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We preliminarily found that BYD could relieve CRF in cervical carcinoma patients. However, there are few trials on whether BYD could relieve CRF and improve immunity in cervical carcinoma patients. METHODS: This is a double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trial. From December 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022, cervical carcinoma patients with CRF will be assessed for randomization into treatment group (BYD) and control group (BYD simulation) in a 1:1 ratio. The outcomes are cancer fatigue scale, self-rating anxiety scales, self-rating depression scales, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, and immunity index (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+) before and after the treatment. Statistical analysis will be performed using SPSS v22.0 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The study will clarify the efficacy and safety of BYD in improving CRF and immunity in cervical carcinoma patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: OSF Registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/QFNMD.

Chinese Medicine Shensong Yangxin Capsule () Ameliorates Myocardial Microcirculation Dysfunction in Rabbits with Chronic Myocardial Infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Chinese compound Shensong Yangxin Capsule ( , SSYX) on myocardial microcirculation in myocardial-infarcted rabbits. METHODS: Myocardial infarction (MI) was established in rabbits by ligation of the left circumflex coronary. Thirty rabbits were randomly divided into the control group, the MI group (model), and the MI treated with SSYX group (MI+SSYX) by a random number table method. After 4 weeks of administration, low-energy real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RT-MCE) was conducted to assess the microcirculatory perfusion. Immunofluorescence double staining was used to detect the capillary density. The endothelial ultrastructure was observed with a transmission electron microscope. The mRNA expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin 1 (ET-1), prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). The plasmic levels of ET-1, thromboxane A2 (TXA2), nitric oxide (NO) and von willebrand factor (vWF) were examined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). RESULTS: SSYX significantly improved the myocardial blood volume, myocardial micro bubble velocity, and myocardial inflow according to the examination of RT-MCE, and it visibly ameliorated the capillary endothelial structure. Furthermore, compared with the MI group, the plasma levels of TXA2, ET-1 and vWF contents significantly decreased in the MI+SSYX group, and the ET-1 mRNA expression levels of myocardium in the border zone significantly decreased, and the VEGF, PGI2 and eNOS mRNA expression levels significantly increased (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: SSYX has favorable advantages in ameliorating the impaired myocardial microcirculation following MI. The mechanisms of the effect are related to the ability of SSYX in balancing the endothelial-derived vasodilators and vasoconstrictors, and up-regulating the expression of VEGF and eNOS.

Rosanortriterpenes A-B, Two Promising Agents from Rosa laevigata var. leiocapus, Alleviate Inflammatory Responses and Liver Fibrosis in In Vitro Cell Models.

Rosanortriterpenes A-B (RTA and RTB), two nortriterpenoids, are characteristic constituents in the fruits of Rosa laevigata var. leiocapus. However, pharmacological studies on these compounds are still scarce. In the present study, we aim to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms associated with the effects of RTA-B in RAW264.7 macrophages and LO2 cells by detecting cell viabilities, nitric oxide (NO) production, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production. Simultaneously, the anti-inflammatory action mechanisms of these two compounds were illustrated through western blot assay. Besides, the antihepatic fibrosis activities of these compounds have also been explored. The results demonstrated that RTA and RTB inhibited the production of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6 and suppressed liver fibrosis. RTA and RTB treatment also greatly inhibited the activation of NF-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway. Our study confirmed the promising anti-inflammatory and anti-liver fibrosis actions of RTA-B, suggesting that they might be developed as alternative and promising drugs for the treatment of hepatic inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the effect of short-term sunlight on aroma metabolism in postharvest leaves of oolong tea(Camellia sinensis).

Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.)) is an important economic plant. Light is the earliest external signal factor during the postharvest processing of oolong tea, and the solar withering is an indispensable process for aroma formation. In this study, Tieguanyin was used to analyze the effect of sunlight on aroma metabolism, which indicated that the main aroma compounds were significantly increased during solar withering for 15 min compared to the indoor withering. In addition, differentially expressed genes related to aroma metabolism were identified and quantified using the high-throughput Illumina RNA-Seq technology. The expression levels of key regulatory genes were consistent with the results from the gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) analysis, especially in terpenoid metabolic pathway, which showed that aroma metabolism could significantly respond to the short-term light, while its expression level was easily inhibited by the up-regulation of heat shock protein. Taken together, those data provides further insights into the mechanisms, contributing to aroma metabolism of tea plant.

Aloe-emodin exerts cholesterol-lowering effects by inhibiting proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 in hyperlipidemic rats.

Hyperlipidemia (HPL) characterized by metabolic disorder of lipids and cholesterol is one of the important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a potent circulating regulator of LDL through its ability to induce degradation of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol receptor (LDLR) in the lysosome of hepatocytes. Aloe-emodin (AE) is one of potentially bioactive components of Chinese traditional medicine Daming capsule. In this study we evaluated the HPL-lowering efficacy of AE in both in vivo and in vitro HPL models. High-fat diet-induced rats were treated with AE (100 mg/kg per day, ig) for 6 weeks. We found that AE administration significantly decreased the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and LDL in the serum and liver tissues. Moreover, AE administration ameliorated HPL-induced hepatic lipid aggregation. But AE administration did not significantly inhibit HMG-CoA reductase activity in the liver of HPL rats. A cellular model of HPL was established in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells treated with cholesterol (20 µg/mL) and 25-hydroxycholesterol (2 µg/mL), which exhibited markedly elevated cholesterol levels. The increased cholesterol levels could be reversed by subsequent treatment with AE (30 µM). In both the in vivo and in vitro HPL models, we revealed that AE selectively suppressed the sterol-regulatory element-binding protein-2 (SREBP-2) and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)1α-mediated PCSK9 signaling, which in turn upregulated LDL receptor (LDLR) and promoted LDL uptake. This study demonstrates that AE reduces cholesterol content in HPL rats by inhibiting the hepatic PCSK9/LDLR pathway.

Novel Fusion Protein Consisting of Metallothionein, Cellulose Binding Module, and Superfolder GFP for Lead Removal from the Water Decoction of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Many methods have been used to detect heavy metals in herbal medicines, while few are developed to remove them. In this study, a novel genetically engineered fusion protein composed of metallothionein (MT), cellulose binding module (CBM), and superfolder GFP (sfGFP) was designed to remove heavy metals. MT, a kind of cysteine-rich protein, was used to chelate heavy metals with high specific affinity. The CBM facilitated the fusion protein MT-CBM-sfGFP binding to cellulose specifically, which made the purification and immobilization in one step. The sfGFP was used to detect the fusion protein MT-CBM-sfGFP easily during the process of expression and immobilization. The MT from Cancer pagurus (MTCap) and the CBM from Cellulomonas fimi (CBMCef) were used as an example and the fusion protein (MTCap-CBMCef-sfGFP) was expressed in Escherichia coli. Then, the cell lysates were mechanically mixed with cellulose to create biosorbent MTCap-CBMCef-sfGFP@cellulose. The efficiency of the biosorbent MTCap-CBMCef-sfGFP@cellulose for Pb2+ removal was evaluated using the water decoction of Honeysuckle as a model. Results suggested that MTCap-CBMCef-sfGFP@cellulose had high efficiency for Pb2+ removal from the water decoction of Honeysuckle without affecting its active ingredients. The low-cost, easy production, and high efficiency of the biosorbent enable it to have many applications in heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions of herbal medicines and food.

Effect of typical starch on the rheological properties and NMR characterization of myofibrillar protein gel.

BACKGROUND: Composite gels were individually prepared from 20 g kg-1 myofibrillar protein (MP) imbedded with typical native starch (potato, tapioca, rice or corn starch) in 0.6 mol L-1 NaCl at pH 6.2. The gel strength, water holding capacity, rheological properties and microstructure of the obtained myofibrillar protein-starch composite gels were evaluated. RESULTS: Tapioca starch improved (P < 0.05) gel strength and water holding capacity of MP composite gel at 80 °C. Rheological properties of MP-starch composites differed significantly with the addition of different types of native starch. Additionally, the promoting effect of starch on the storage modulus of the composite gels positively correlated with the gelatinization properties of different typical starch. Environmental scanning electron microscopy showed that the filling effect of starch on the composite gel was related to the pasting temperature and particle size of typical starch, with almost no particles forming at 80 °C. Moreover, the addition of starch changed the relaxation peak area and increased the relaxation time in nuclear magnetic resonance tests, which suggested that starch could improve the water holding capacity of MP-starch composite gels. CONCLUSION: Different typical native starch has varied impacts on the gel strength, water holding capacity, rheological properties and microstructure of MP gels, indicating the potential and feasibility of these typical native starches as an addition agent to modify the textural properties in comminuted meat products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.