Inhibitory effects and mechanisms of phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil on advanced glycation end product formation in chemical and cellular models in vitro.

Sinapic acid (SA), canolol (CAO) and canolol dimer (CAO dimer) are the main phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil. However, their possible efficacy against glycation remains unclear. This study aims to explore the impacts of these substances on the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) based on chemical and cellular models in vitro. Based on fluorescence spectroscopy results, three chemical models of BSA-fructose, BSA-methylglyoxal (MGO), and arginine (Arg)-MGO showed that SA/CAO/CAO dimer could effectively reduce AGE formation but with different abilities. After SA/CAO/CAO dimer incubation, effective protection against BSA protein glycation was observed and three different MGO adducts were formed. In MGO-induced HUVEC cell models, only CAO and CAO dimer significantly inhibited oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, accompanied by the regulation of the Nrf2-HO-1 pathway. During the inhibition, 20 and 12 lipid mediators were reversed in the CAO and CAO dimer groups compared to the MGO group.

Identification, functional characterization and expression pattern of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interferon-gamma receptor 1 (IFNGR1) in Nibea albiflora.

Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is an inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in regulating both innate and cell-mediated immune responses by binding to a receptor complex made up of IFNGR1 and IFNGR2. In this study, the complete cDNA of IFN-γ and IFNGR1 from Nibea albiflora were cloned and functionally characterized (named NaIFN-γ and NaIFNGR1), whose complete cDNA sequences were 1593 bp and 2792 bp, encoding 201 and 399 amino acids, respectively. Multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that the concluded amino acids sequences of NaIFN-γ and NaIFNGR1 shared high identity with their teleost orthologues including the IFN-γ signature and nuclear localization signal (NLS) motif in NaIFN-γ and FN Ⅲ domain in NaIFNGR1. Real-time PCR showed that NaIFN-γ and NaIFNGR1 constitutively expressed in all tested tissues, such as the head-kidney, spleen, liver, kidney, gill, muscle, blood, and intestine with the highest expression of NaIFN-γ and NaIFNGR1 appearing in the liver and gill, respectively. After experiencing stimulation with Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly (I:C)), Vibrio alginolyticus (V. alginolyticus) or Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus), NaIFN-γ and NaIFNGR1 mRNA were up-regulated with the time-dependent model. Due to the presence of a nuclear localization signal (NLS), the subcellular localization revealed that NaIFN-γ dispersed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus. NaIFNGR1, as a member of Cytokine receptor family B, was primarily expressed on the cell membrane. When NaIFN-γ and NaIFNGR1 were co-transfected, their fluorescence signals overlapped on the membrane of HEK 293T cells indicating the potential interaction between IFN-γ and IFNGR1. The GST-pull-down results further showed that NaIFN-γ could directly interact with the extracellular region of NaIFNGR1, further confirming the affinity between IFN-γ and IFNGR1. Taken together, the results firstly demonstrated that the NaIFN-γ ligand-receptor system existed in N.albiflora and played a pivotal part in N.albiflora's immune response against pathogenic bacterial infections, which contributed to the better understanding of the role of IFN-γ in the immunomodulatory mechanisms of teleost.

Near-Infrared-II-Activatable Self-Assembled Manganese Porphyrin-Gold Heterostructures for Photoacoustic Imaging-Guided Sonodynamic-Augmented Photothermal/Photodynamic Therapy.

Porphyrins and their derivatives are widely used as photosensitizers and sonosensitizers in tumor treatment. Nevertheless, their poor water solubility and low chemical stability reduce their singlet oxygen (1O2) yield and, consequently, their photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) efficiency. Although strategies for porphyrin molecule assembly have been developed to augment 1O2 generation, there is scope for further improving PDT and SDT efficiencies. Herein, we synthesized ordered manganese porphyrin (SM) nanoparticles with well-defined self-assembled metalloporphyrin networks that enabled efficient energy transfer for enhanced photocatalytic and sonocatalytic activity in 1O2 production. Subsequently, Au nanoparticles were grown in situ on the SM surface by anchoring the terminal alkynyl of porphyrin to form plasmonic SMA heterostructures, which showed the excellent near-infrared-II (NIR-II) region absorption and photothermal properties, and facilitated electron-hole pair separation and transfer. With the modification of hyaluronic acid (HA), SMAH heterostructure nanocomposites exhibited good water solubility and were actively targeted to cancer cells. Under NIR-II light and ultrasound (US) irradiation, the SMAH generates hyperthermia, and a large amount of 1O2, inducing cancer cell damage. Both in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that the SMAH nanocomposites effectively suppressed tumor growth by decreasing GSH levels in SDT-augmented PDT/PTT. Moreover, by utilizing the strong absorption in the NIR-II window, SMAH nanocomposites can achieve NIR-II photoacoustic imaging-guided combined cancer treatment. This work provides a paradigm for enhancing the 1O2 yield of metalloporphyrins to improve the synergistic therapeutic effect of SDT/PDT/PTT.

Near-infrared-II-activatable sulfur-deficient plasmonic Bi2S3-x-Au heterostructures for photoacoustic imaging-guided ultrasound enhanced high performance phototherapy.

Bismuth sulfide is widely used as an n-type semiconductor material in photocatalytic reactions. However, bismuth sulfide has poor absorption in the near-infrared region and low charge separation efficiency, limiting its application in phototherapy and sonodynamic therapy (SDT). In this study, we successfully synthesized an "all-in-one" phototheranostic nanoplatform, namely Bi2S3-x-Au@HA, based on a single second near-infrared (NIR-II) light-responsive Schottky-type Bi2S3-x-Au heterostructure for photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided SDT-enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT)/photothermal therapy (PTT). Bi2S3-x-Au@HA exhibits excellent NIR-II plasmonic and photothermal properties, rendering it with NIR-II PA imaging capabilities for accurate diagnosis. Additionally, the high-density sulfur vacancies constructed on the Bi2S3 surface cause it to possess a reduced band gap (1.21 eV) that can act as an electron trap. Using the density functional theory, we confirmed that the light and ultrasound-induced electrons are more likely to aggregate on the Au nanoparticle surface through interfacial self-assembly, which promotes electron-hole separation and enhances photocatalytic activity with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. With a further modification of hyaluronic acid (HA), Bi2S3-x-Au@HA can selectively target cancer cells through HA and CD44 protein interactions. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that Bi2S3-x-Au@HA effectively suppressed tumor growth through SDT-enhanced PTT/PDT under a single NIR-II laser and ultrasound irradiation with negligible toxicity. Our findings provide a framework for fabricating Schottky-type heterostructures as single NIR-II light-responsive nanotheranostic agents for PA imaging-guided cancer phototherapy.

Nanoassembly with self-regulated magnetic thermal therapy and controlled immuno-modulating agent release for improved immune response.

Cancer immunotherapy is an emerging cancer therapeutic method by activating the patient's immune system but suffers from low immunogenicity at tumor sites. Fever-like heat is known to modulate an immune-friendly tumor microenvironment. Here, temperature-responsive iron oxide nanoassemblies (IONAs) are developed by crosslinking iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) and loaded with JQ1 (JQ1/IONAs), an immuno-modulating agent known to down-regulate PD-L1. In the presence of an alternating magnetic field (AMF), the IONAs demonstrate a much more effective magnetic thermal effect than IONPs and are responsively disassembled to prevent overheating. Compared with IONPs + AMF (∼ 41 °C) and unresponsive nanoassemblies (uIONAs) + AMF (∼ 50 °C), the IONAs + AMF with a temperature heated around 45 °C show a much better immune response and anti-tumor effect. Further combining the mild thermal therapy with controlled release of JQ1, the JQ1/IONAs + AMF completely eradicate the primary tumors and trigger a strong immune effect to inhibit the distant tumor growth as well as prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis. Our JQ1/IONAs not only provide a magnetic thermal agent with effective heating and temperature self-regulation ability but also serve as a heat-triggered JQ1 carrier to spontaneously combine mild magnetic thermal therapy with immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Inhibitory mechanism of phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil on α-amylase and α-glucosidase: Spectroscopy, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation.

Developing naturally active components to control α-amylase/α-glucosidase activity is highly desired for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes. Rapeseed oil is rich in active phenolic compounds and seed oil is a major source of liposoluble inhibitors to these enzymes. However, it remains unclear about the interaction of phenolic compounds in rapeseed oil with α-amylase/α-glucosidase. This study found that the important phenolic compounds from rapeseed oil (Sinapic acid, SA; canolol, CAO; canolol dimer, CAO dimer) possessed effective inhibition performance against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. CAO showed the lowest and highest inhibitory effect, respectively. In the kinetics studies, the inhibition mechanism of SA/CAO/CAO dimer against α-glucosidase was non-competitive, exhibiting a different way from α-amylase. Fluorescence quenching spectra implied that the static processes were responsible for the spontaneous binding between the compounds and enzymes. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) displayed these compounds-induced conformation alterations of α-amylase/α-glucosidase. Molecular docking revealed that SA/CAO/CAO dimer decreased the catalytic efficiency of α-amylase/α-glucosidase through hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic force, or π-π interaction. Molecular dynamics matched well with the experimental and docking results regarding the inhibitory behaviors and interactions toward α-amylase/α-glucosidase. These results demonstrated the potential benefits of phenolic compounds from rapeseed oil in antidiabetic-related activities.

Er-xian ameliorates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through RISK pathway involving estrogen receptors.

Curculigo orchioides (CUR) and Epimedium (EPI) are traditional Chinese medicines with estrogen-like biological activity, called Xianmao and Xianlingpi (Er-xian) in Chinese. However, whether Er-xian exerts protective effects on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of Er-xian preconditioning against MIRI and the underlying mechanisms. CUR or EPI was administered intragastrically to aged female rats as a monotherapy or combination therapy. 2 weeks later, a rat MIRI model was established. Myocardial infarction size, myocardial morphology, cTnT, cell apoptosis rate, intracellular calcium concentration, mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening and reperfusion injury salvage kinase (RISK) signaling pathway molecules were observed after the surgery. To evaluate the mechanisms of Er-xian, estrogen receptors antagonists ICI 182780 and G15 were used. In this study, Er-xian notably alleviated myocardial tissue damage, maintained mitochondrial morphology, reduced infarct size and cardiac markers, and increased sera levels of E2. Moreover, Er-xian inhibited calcium overload and mPTP opening, and decreased cardiomyocyte apoptosis. We found that the dual therapy of CUR and EPI elicited more noticeable results than CUR or EPI monotherapy. The significant protective effects of Er-xian on ischemia-reperfusion myocardium were attributed to the up-regulation of AKT, ERK1/2 and GSK-3ß phosphorylation levels. The cardioprotective effects of Er-xian were significantly reduced after estrogen receptor blockade, especially GPER30. These results indicate that Er-xian attenuates MIRI through RISK signaling pathway and estrogen receptors are the critical mediators.

Arginine Supplementation Targeting Tumor-Killing Immune Cells Reconstructs the Tumor Microenvironment and Enhances the Antitumor Immune Response.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by several immunosuppressive factors, of which weak acidity and l-arginine (l-arg) deficiency are two common features. A weak acidic environment threatens the survival of immune cells, and insufficient l-arg will severely restrain the effect of antitumor immune responses, both of which affect the efficiency of cancer treatments (especially immunotherapy). Meanwhile, l-arg is essential for tumor progression. Thus, two strategies, l-arg supplementation and l-arg deprivation, are developed for cancer treatment. However, these strategies have the potential risk of promoting tumor growth and impairing immune responses, which might lead to a paradoxical therapeutic effect. It is optimal to limit the l-arg availability of tumor cells from the microenvironment while supplying l-arg for immune cells. In this study, we designed a multivesicular liposome technology to continuously supply alkaline l-arg, which simultaneously changed the acidity and l-arg deficiency in the TME, and by selectively knocking down the CAT-2 transporter, l-arg starvation of tumors was maintained while tumor-killing immune cells were enriched in the TME. The results showed that our strategy promoted the infiltration and activation of CD8+ T cells in tumor, increased the proportion of M1 macrophages, inhibited melanoma growth, and prolonged survival. In combination with anti-PD-1 antibody, our strategy reversed the low tumor response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, showing a synergistic antitumor effect. Our work provided a reference for improving the TME combined with regulating nutritional competitiveness to achieve the sensitization of immunotherapy.

Meta-Analysis on the Effects of Electric Acupuncture on Neural Functional Recovery and Related Pathways of Rats after Spinal Cord Injury.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a type of damage to the central nervous system (CNS) caused by various factors. The secondary injury of SCI is more complicated. Studies have found that electroacupuncture can help the recovery of nerve function during spinal cord injury. Therefore, this study explored the efficacy of electroacupuncture on complications after spinal cord injury through meta-analysis. Methods: Relevant literatures published from January 2010 to March 2022 were searched with "Electric acupuncture, Spinal cord injury, Neural functional recovery, Spinal cord injury in rats, Neuronal Signaling" as search words. The risk of bias of included references was analyzed and assessed using RevMan 5.3 software and Stata software. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the Q-test and heterogeneity (I 2). Results: There was no heterogeneity among the study groups. The comparison on the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture and conventional therapy suggested that electroacupuncture was more effective for nerve recovery after spinal cord injury than conventional therapy. It can better improve the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury in rats. On the other hand, SCI+EA had a good inhibitory effect on the expression of RhoA protein signal in rats and had a positive effect on the signal pathway. Discussion. The results of meta-analysis confirmed that electroacupuncture was more effective than conventional therapy in inhibiting pathways.

Poisoning Associated with Consumption of a Homemade Medicinal Liquor - Chongqing, China, 2018.

On May 3, 2018, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CQCDC) received a report of 15 persons with numbness of the tongue or limbs and vomiting of unknown etiology; all ill persons had attended an adult birthday luncheon in Bishan District, Chongqing municipality, in southwest China. Initial reports indicated that one person had died. Within 2 hours, CQCDC and Western Chinese Field Epidemiology Training Program staff members launched an investigation that included identification of cases, laboratory testing of drinks, and patient interviews to identify the cause of what appeared to be a poisoning. Among the 15 cases, five persons died. The investigation of this apparent mass intoxication implicated a homemade alcoholic beverage produced from a highly toxic flowering plant in the genus Aconitum used in traditional Chinese medicine. Although the risk of aconite toxicity is known, approximately 5,000 cases of aconite poisoning incidents were reported in China, Germany, Japan, and other countries during 1993-2005; most cases of fatal poisoning occurred in China (1). This event highlights the importance of enforcing and complying with existing regulations regarding sale and purchase of Aconitum species (also known as wolfbane), and of dissemination of critical public health messages.

[Establishment and application of quality evaluation method for Xiaochaihu Granules based on calibrator samples].

With reference to the production process documented in Chinese Pharmacopoeia, this paper prepared the calibrator samples of Xiaochaihu Granules from multiple batches and established a method for fingerprint analysis and content determination that could be used to evaluate Xiaochaihu Granules available in market. Multiple batches of Chinese herbal pieces contained in Xiaochaihu Granules were collected for preparing the calibrator samples according to the process in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Following the establishment of fingerprints for calibrator samples by UHPLC, the method for determining the contents of saikosaponin B2, saikosaponin B1, baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, liquiritin, glycyrrhizin G2 and glycyrrhizic acid in Xiaochaihu Granules was established. The experimental results showed that the fingerprints of calibrator samples had 26 common peaks, covering the chemical compounds of main herbs Bupleuri Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Changii Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens. The similarity of fingerprints for 47 batches of Xiaochaihu Granules from 31 companies with the calibrator sample fingerprint ranged from 0.74 to 0.99, indicating good applicability of the established fingerprint. The contents of main components baicalin, saikosaponin B2, and glycyrrhizic acid in Xiaochaihu Granules were within the ranges of 22.917-49.108 mg per bag(RSD 19%), 0.28-2.19 mg per bag(RSD 62%), and 0.897-6.541 mg per bag(RSD 41%), respectively. The quality difference in saikosaponin B2, and glycyrrhizic acid among different manufacturers was significant. The fingerprint analysis and content determination method for calibrator samples of Xiaochaihu Granules prepared according to the production process in Chinese Pharmacopoeia has been proved suitable for evaluating the quality of Xiaochaihu Granules from different manufacturers. Saikosaponin B2, glycyrrhizic acid, and liquiritin should be added as content control indicators for Xiaochaihu Granules, aiming to further improve the product quality.

New Insights into Stress-Induced ß-Ocimene Biosynthesis in Tea (Camellia sinensis) Leaves during Oolong Tea Processing.

As the major contributors to the floral odors of tea products, terpenoid volatiles play critical roles in the defense response of plants to multiple stresses. Until now, only a few TPS genes in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) have been functionally validated. In this study, by comparative studies conducted at gene, protein, and metabolite levels during oolong tea processing, we isolated an ocimene synthase gene, CsOCS, which displays a low similarity to previously characterized tea ocimene synthases. Further prokaryotic expression and subcellular localization analysis showed that it is plastid-located and could produce (E)-ß-ocimene and (Z)-ß-ocimene using GPP as the substrate. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme were 30 °C and 7.5, respectively. Treatment with exogenous methyl jasmonate elevated the transcript level of CsOCS and enhanced the emission of ocimene from tea leaves. Collectively, CsOCS is implicated as a key enzyme for ß-ocimene synthesis during oolong tea processing.

The qualitative and quantitative assessment of xiaochaihu granules based on e-eye, e-nose, e-tongue and chemometrics.

Xiaochaihu granules (XCHG), a famous Chinese patent medicine with high sales, have more than 100 approved number by China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA). Therefore, it is important to evaluate the quality of XCHG from different pharmaceutical companies. The data fusion of electronic eye (e-eye), electronic nose (e-nose) and electronic tongue (e-tongue) combined with chemometrics were applied for qualitative identification and quantitative prediction of XCHG quality. Firstly, main chemical constituents, such as saikosaponin b2, baicalin and glycyrrhizin were quantified with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). Secondly, the characteristic features of odor, color, and taste of XCHG were measured by e-nose, e-eye and e-tongue, and the Pearson correlation between constituents and e-signals was analyzed. Thirdly, partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) of e-eye, e-nose and e-tongue were classified by the hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) results of the main constituents of XCHG separately. Finally, partial least-squares regression (PLSR) was used to build the prediction model between components and data fusion of e-eye, e-nose and e-tongue. The results showed that saikosaponin b2, baicalin and glycyrrhizin were the three main components in XCHG samples. in which saikosaponin b2 ranged from 0.280 to 2.186 mg (relative standard deviation (RSD), 62.10 %), baicalin range from 25.883 mg to 49.108 mg (RSD, 16.64 %), and glycyrrhizin ranged from 0.897 mg to 6.052 mg (RSD, 40.32 %) of 31 batches of XCHG in each bag. Pearson correlation results showed that the main constituents were related to the core e-signals of XCHG, such as Eab, bitterness and R2 (odor sensitive to nitrogen oxide). Data fusion of e-eye, e-nose and e-tongue with main constitutes of XCHG using the PLSR model showed that the root mean square error (RMSE) values were 0.320 and 0.090 for saikosaponin b2 and licoricesaponin G2 (P < 0.000). The saikosaponin b2 and licoricesaponin G2 contents in XCHG could be predicted with integrated data of e-nose, e-eye, and e-tongue using the PLSR model.

[Correlations between content of linarin in Chrysanthemum indicum and climatic factors in habitats].

Chrysanthemi Indici Flos(CIF), the capitulum of Chrysanthemum indicum, is widely used in proprietary Chinese medicine and daily chemical products. At present, CIF is mainly produced from wild resources and rarely cultivated. This study aims to reveal the correlations between linarin content in CIF and climatic factors in different habitats, and provide a theoretical basis for suitable zoning and rational production of medicinal materials. The content of linarin in CIF was determined by HPLC. Grey relational analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were carried out for linarin content with climatic factors. The results showed that the content of linarin in CIF was significantly different among different habitats. The grey relational degrees of climatic factors with linarin content was in an order of average annual precipitation>annual average sunshine hours>annual average temperature>longitude>annual frost-free period>latitude>altitude. Longitude, annual average temperature and average annual precipitation had significantly positive correlations with the content of linarin in CIF, whereas latitude and altitude showed negative correlations with it. The annual frost-free period and annual average sunshine hours had no significant correlation with the content of linarin in CIF. The content of linarin in CIF varied significantly in different habitats. High longitude, low latitude, low altitude, high annual average temperature and high annual average precipitation could be used as indicators for the habitats of high-quality Ch. indicum. This study provides a reference for selecting suitable producing areas of Ch. indicum and establishing artificial cultivation system.

Research progress on the application of feed additives in ruminal methane emission reduction: a review.

BACKGROUND: Ruminal methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants not only pollute the environment and exacerbate the greenhouse effect, but also cause animal energy losses and low production efficiency. Consequently, it is necessary to find ways of reducing methane emissions in ruminants. Studies have reported that feed additives such as nitrogen-containing compounds, probiotics, prebiotics, and plant extracts significantly reduce ruminant methane; however, systematic reviews of such studies are lacking. The present article summarizes research over the past five years on the effects of nitrogen-containing compounds, probiotics, probiotics, and plant extracts on methane emissions in ruminants. The paper could provide theoretical support and guide future research in animal production and global warming mitigation. METHODS: This review uses the Web of Science database to search keywords related to ruminants and methane reduction in the past five years, and uses Sci-Hub, PubMed, etc. as auxiliary searchers. Read, filter, list, and summarize all the retrieved documents, and finally complete this article. RESULTS: Most of the extracts can not only significantly reduce CH4 greenhouse gas emissions, but they will not cause negative effects on animal and human health either. Therefore, this article reviews the mechanisms of CH4 production in ruminants and the application and effects of N-containing compounds, probiotics, prebiotics, and plant extracts on CH4 emission reduction in ruminants based on published studies over the past 5 years. CONCLUSION: Our review provides a theoretical basis for future research and the application of feed additives in ruminant CH4 emission reduction activities.

The third complete chloroplast genome of Melicope pteleifolia (Rutaceae): a widely used folk medicinal herb.

Melicope pteleifolia commonly known as thin evodia, is an herb used to therapy eczema, dermatitis, and other ailments in traditional Chinese medicine. Here, we reported the third complete chloroplast genome of M. pteleifolia based on next-generation sequencing. The third chloroplast genome of M. pteleifolia is 158,933 bp in length consisting of large and small single-copy regions of length 85,020 and 18,607 bp, separated by two IR regions of 27,683 bp. The overall GC content was 38.30%. De novo assembly and annotation showed the chloroplast genome of M. pteleifolia encodes 134 genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. A huge intraspecies variation was found with 248 SNPs and 97 INDELs among three assemblies of M. pteleifolia. Phylogenetic tree indicated that three assemblies of M. pteleifolia form a clade, sister to the genus Phellodendron and Casimiroa.

MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry imaging reveals non-uniform distribution of disaccharide isomers in plant tissues.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful technique for investigating the biomolecular locations within tissues. However, the isomeric compounds are rarely distinguished due to inability of MSI to differentiate isomers in the probing area. Coupling tandem mass spectrometry with MSI can facilitate differentiating isomeric compounds. Here MALDI-TOF/TOF tandem mass spectrometry imaging approach was applied to probing the spatial distributions of isomeric disaccharides in plant tissues. First, MS/MS imaging analysis of disaccharide-matrix droplet spots demonstrated the feasibility of distinguishing isomeric species in tissues, by measuring the relative intensity of specific fragments. Then, tandem MS imaging of disaccharides in onion bulb tissues indicated that sucrose and other unknown non-sucrose disaccharides exhibit heterogeneous locations throughout the tissues. This method enables us to image disaccharide isomers differentially in biological tissues, and to discover new saccharide species in plant. This work also emphasizes the necessity of considering isobaric compounds when interpreting MSI results.

Molecular characterization and antiparasitic activity analysis of a novel piscidin 5-like type 4 from Larimichthys crocea.

Cryptocaryon irritans is an obligate parasitic ciliate protozoan that can infect various commercially important mariculture teleosts and cause high lethality and economic loss, especially Larimichthys crocea. Current methods of controlling or preventing this parasite with chemicals or antibiotics are widely considered to be environmentally harmful. The antiparasitic activity of some antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) attracted extensive attention of scholars. In the study, a novel piscidin 5-like type 4 (termed Lc-P5L4) excavated from comparative transcriptome of C. irritans - immuned L. crocea was identified and characterized. Sequence analysis shows the full-length cDNA of Lc-P5L4 is 539 bp containing an open reading frame (ORF) of 198 bp which encodes a peptide of 65 amino acid residues. The genome consists of three exons and two introns which exist in its ORF, and all the exon-intron boundaries are in accordance with classical GT-AG rule (GT/intron/AG). Multiple alignments indicate the signal peptides share highly conserved identity, while mature peptides are more diverse. Phylogenetic analysis displays Lc-P5L4 clusters together with other members of piscidin 5-like family. Next, quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) detection found C. irritans infection could upregulate Lc-P5L4 expression level in all tested tissues significantly, it appeared earliest upregulation in the theronts infection stage in the head kidney; the expression contents reached to maximum level in the intestine, gill and muscle during trophonts falling off stage; while it was just upregulated during secondary bacterial infection stage in the liver and spleen. The data showed Lc-P5L4 upregulation time points were in accordance with different infection stages. With recombinant Lc-P5L4 (rLc-P5L4) obtained through Escherichia coli system, in vitro assay showed rLc-P5L4 could cause cilia deactivation, cell bodiesclumping and sticking to each other, then cell membrane rupture and contents leakage. The data illustrated Lc-P5L4 played critical roles in the immune defense against C. irritans infection, and provided another proof that piscidins exhibit multiple anti- C. irritans features.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of Murraya paniculata (Rutaceae): a widely used folk medicinal herb.

Murraya paniculate, is traditionally used for management of gut, air way and cardiovascular disorders. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of M. paniculata based on next-generation sequencing and used the data to assess genomic resources. The chloroplast genome of M. paniculata is 160,280 bp in length consisting of large and small single-copy regions of length 87,605 and 18,609 bp, separated by two IR regions of 27,033 bp. The overall GC content was 38.61%. De novo assembly and annotation showed the presence of unique genes with 85 protein-coding genes, 29 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. A maximum-likelihood phylogenomic analysis showed that M. paniculata was closely related to M. caloxylon.

A Computational Framework to Study the Effect of Acupuncture on Obesity by Integrating Multiple Levels of Data.

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of obesity by a computational framework integrating randomized controlled trials published in China and abroad. Specifically, clinical trial documents published on CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from 2007-2017 were downloaded and analyzed using Stata 15.1 system. As a result, a total of 13 articles were imported and 1052 patients were included. The analyses showed that the overall effect of an acupuncture group and a control group was not significant with P > 0.01. However, the curative effect of the acupuncture group was better than that of the diet and exercise instruction group with P < 0.01; the curative effect of the acupuncture group was better than that of the oral Chinese and western medicine group with P < 0.01. In conclusion, acupuncture as a complementary alternative therapy is recommended for the treatment of obesity.