Research Note: Preservative effect of compound spices extracts on marinated chicken.

The antimicrobial effect of 21 nature spices essential oils (EOs) on marinated chicken was investigated and response surface analysis was applied to obtain the optimal combination. Cassia bark EO, cinnamon EO, tea tree EO, and angelica EO had the best antibacterial effect. Their inhibition zone diameters (IZD) were 23 mm, 21 mm, 15 mm, and 12 mm, and their minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were 1.25 µL/mL, 1.25 µL/mL, 10.00 µL/mL, 20.00 µL/mL. Using the Box-Behnken Design model, with the minimum total number of spoilage bacteria as the evaluation index, the optimal mixture was cassia bark EO 2.40 µL/mL, cinnamon EO 1.00 µL/mL, tea tree EO 3.50 µL/mL, and angelica EO 9.00 µL/mL. Compared with the control group, the total number of colonies was reduced by 1.3 log unites at the 12th sampling day, and the protein degradation process was slowed down owing to the preservative addition. These results indicate the potential application of nature extracts in chicken and other meat preservation.

Pyrola incarnata demonstrates neuroprotective effects against ß-amyloid-induced memory impairment in mice.

This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Pyrola incarnata against ß-amyloid-induced memory impairment in mice. Ethanol extract of Pyrola incarnata (EPI) was obtained and led to eleven phytochemicals successfully by isolation and purification, which were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (1H NMR, 13C NMR and HR-ESI-MS). Thereinto, ursolic acid was gained as most abundant monomer. C57BL/6 mice were intracerebroventricular injected with aggregated Aß25-35. Open-field test, Barnes maze test and Morris water maze were conducted for evaluating cognition processes of EPI and ursolic acid. EPI significantly improved learning and memory deficits, attenuated the Aß25-35 level of deposition immunohistochemically. Further studies revealed that ursolic acid as bioactive phytochemical of P. incarnata improved spatial memory performance and ameliorated Aß25-35 accumulation by activating microglia cells and up-regulating Iba1 level in the hippocampus. These findings suggest P. incarnata could improve the cognition of mice and be a promising natural source for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.