Pickering emulsions stabilized by zein-proanthocyanidins-pectin ternary composites (ZPAAPs): Construction and delivery studies.

Proanthocyanidins (Pas) are widely used in the preparation of functional foods due to their diverse biological activities. Taking advantage of the effect of Pas on the stability of Pickering emulsions, this study constructed the zein-proanthocyanidins-pectin ternary composites (ZPAAPs) as stabilizer to establish Pickering emulsions with potential delivery capacity. The appearance of the emulsion was pink which could be found in visual observation. The emulsion was stable during long-term storage in the range of 0.1 âˆ¼ 0.7 oil phase. CLSM showed that the oil droplets were coated with covering layer formed by ZPAAPs, which effectively prevented droplets congregating. The rheological results indicated that ZPAAPEs had elastic gel-like structure. In addition, ZPAAPEs still contained 54.4 % curcumin after storage for 15 d. And the bioavailability of curcumin was increased to 39.7 % ± 0.3. These studies may contribute to the controllable fabrication of Pickering emulsions for nutrient delivery in the food and pharmaceutical fields.

Injectable and Self-Healing Polysaccharide Hydrogel Loading Molybdenum Disulfide Nanoflakes for Synergistic Photothermal-Photodynamic Therapy of Breast Cancer.

In order to overcome the limitation of traditional therapies for cancer and improve the accuracy of treatment, more advantageous cancer treatment methods need to be explored and studied. As a result, photothermal photodynamic therapy of breast cancer using bovine serum albumin (BSA) modifies molybdenum disulfide nanoflakes. Then the well-dispersed BSA-MoS2 NFs are loaded in the injectable and self-healing polysaccharide hydrogel which is prepared by the reaction of oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) and hydroxypropyl chitosan (HPCS) through the formation of Schiff base bonds. The injection and self-healing properties of the nanocomposite hydrogel are investigated. In vitro photothermal and photodynamic investigations demonstrate that BSA-MoS2 NFs possess obvious photothermal conversion and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under the irradiation of near infrared (NIR) laser (808 nm). In vivo anticancer investigation indicates that the nanocomposite hydrogel can be directly injected and remain in the tumor sites and achieve the synergistic photothermal-photodynamic therapy of cancer.

Multifunctional Doxorubicin@Hollow-Cu9S8 nanoplatforms for Photothermally-Augmented Chemodynamic-Chemo therapy.

Multimodal therapy has attracted increasing interests in tumor treatment due to its high anti-cancer efficacy, and the key is to develop multifunctional nanoagents. The classic multifunctional nanoagents are made up of expensive and complex components, leading to limited practical applications. To solve these problems, we have developed the polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated hollow Cu9S8 nanoparticles (H-Cu9S8/PEG NPs), whose H-Cu9S8 component exhibits the photothermal effect for near-infrared (NIR) photothermal therapy (PTT), the Fenton-like catalytic activity for chemodynamic therapy (CDT), and the drug-loading capacity for chemotherapy. The H-Cu9S8/PEG NPs with a diameter of âˆ¼ 100 nm have been synthesized by sulfurizing cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles through "Kirkendall effect", and they exhibit high photothermal conversion efficiency of 40.9%. Meanwhile, the H-Cu9S8/PEG NPs are capable of a Fenton-like reaction, which can be augmented by 2 times under the NIR irradiation. The hollow structure gives the H-Cu9S8/PEG high doxorubicin (DOX) loading capacity (21.1%), and then the DOX release can be further improved by pH and photothermal effect. When the DOX@H-Cu9S8/PEG dispersions are injected into the tumor-bearing mice, the tumor growth can be efficiently inhibited due to the synergistic effect of photothermally-augmented CDT-chemo therapy. Therefore, the DOX@H-Cu9S8/PEG can serve as a multifunctional nanoplatform for photothermally-augmented CDT-chemo treatment of malignant tumors.

An aqueous extract from Artemisia capillaris inhibits acute gastric injury through mucosal stabilization.

BACKGROUND: Artemisia capillaris is among the most abundantly used traditional medicines, utilized in East Asia to treat diverse illnesses, including gastrointestinal tract diseases. We previously reported that an aqueous extract of A. capillaris (AEAC) inhibited gastric inflammation induced by HCl/ethanol via reactive oxygen species scavenging and NF-κB downregulation. To date, the pharmacological potential of AEAC for promoting mucosal integrity has not been studied. RESULTS: Here, we report that a single treatment with AEAC increased mucus production, and repeated administration of AEAC abolished HCl/ethanol-induced mucosal injury in vivo. Single- and multiple-dose AEAC treatments measurably increased the expression of mucosal stabilizing factors in vivo, including mucin (MUC) 5 AC, MUC6, and trefoil factor (TFF) 1 and TFF2 (but not TFF3). AEAC also induced mucosal stabilizing factors in both SNU-601 cells and RGM cells through phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that AEAC protects against HCl/ethanol-induced gastritis by upregulating MUCs and TFFs and stabilizing the mucosal epithelium. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Clinical Efficacy of Didangtang Combined with Gemcitabine in Postoperative Patients with Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of Didangtang combined with gemcitabine chemotherapy in postoperative patients with non-muscle invasive bladder ctraditional chinese medicineancer （NMIBC）. Method:A total of 100 patients with NMIBC in Jiangsu Provincial Second Chinese Medicine Hospital and Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2015 to September 2020 were randomly divided into control group and treatment group. 50 cases in the treatment group received Didangtang combined with intravesical infusion of gemcitabine， and 50 cases in the control group received placebo combined with intravesical infusion of gemcitabine. Before and after the treatment cycle， the blood biochemistry， immune cell subsets（CD3⁺，CD4⁺ and CD4⁺/CD8⁺） were detected to assess the safety and immune function changes in treatment group. Quality of life scale for patients with bladder cancer prepared by European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer （EORTC QLQ-C30） and Specificity scale for patients with superficial bladder cancer （EORTC QLQ-BLS24） were scored to assess the changes in physical， role， emotional and social functioning of the patients， symptomatic conditions such as fatigue， pain， nausea and vomiting， shortness of breath， insomnia， loss of appetite， diarrhea and constipation， as well as bladder cancer-specific symptoms such as treatment-generated problems， future concerns， bowel symptoms and urinary tract symptoms. Result:There were no differences in terms of age， sex， disease duration and tumor states. During the treatment period， both groups had no recurrence or adverse events. The traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） efficacy in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group（<italic>χ²</italic>= 7.23，<italic>P </italic>= 0.02）. After treatment， the number of CD3⁺，CD4⁺ ，CD8⁺ cells and the CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in control group（<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Both groups showed significant improvements in the domains of role functioning， social functioning， and general health after treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. In addition， fatigue， diarrhea， constipation， intestinal symptoms， and urinary tract symptoms in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group after treatment （<italic>P</italic><0.05）. Conclusion:Didangtang can reduce adverse clinical symptoms during postoperative gemcitabine infusion chemotherapy in patients with NMIBC， reduce urethral and intestinal discomfort reactions， improve immune function and enhance quality of life for patients.

Paeoniflorin ameliorates glycemic variability-induced oxidative stress and platelet activation in HUVECs and DM rats.

Glycemic variability (GV) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular complications associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Paeoniflorin is an effective Chinese traditional medicine with anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory effects. Previous studies implicated the beneficial effects of paeoniflorin in treatment for diabetic complications, such as type 2 diabetic nephropathy and diabetes with myocardial ischemic injury. Current evidence suggests that oxidative stress and platelet activation, as well as their interaction, are potentially associated with GV and involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes-associated vascular complications. This study aimed to explore the effects of paeoniflorin on oxidative stress and platelet activation, using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured with different glucose concentrations, and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats fed different glycemic index diets. Paeoniflorin treatment effectively improved the morphology and cell viability of HUVECs under glucose fluctuation. Moreover, the platelet aggregation rate, CD62p expression, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration decreased, while glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) levels increased in paeoniflorin-treated groups. In conclusion, our study found that paeoniflorin ameliorates oxidative stress and platelet activation induced by glycemic variability both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting a novel potential strategy for treatment of diabetic complications.

Anti-Biofilm Activity of Grapefruit Seed Extract against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a safe and effective preservative that is used widely in the food industry. However, there are few studies addressing the anti-biofilm effect of GSE. In this study, the anti-biofilm effect of GSE was investigated against biofilm-forming strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The GSE minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for S. aureus and E. coli were 25 µg/ml and 250 µg/ml, respectively. To investigate biofilm inhibition and degradation effect, crystal violet assay and stainless steel were used. Biofilm formation rates of four strains (S. aureus 7, S. aureus 8, E. coli ATCC 25922, and E. coli O157:H4 FRIK 125) were 55.8%, 70.2%, 55.4%, and 20.6% at 1/2 × MIC of GSE, respectively. The degradation effect of GSE on biofilms attached to stainless steel coupons was observed (≥ 1 log CFU/coupon) after exposure to concentrations above the MIC for all strains and 1/2 × MIC for S. aureus 7. In addition, the specific mechanisms of this anti-biofilm effect were investigated by evaluating hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production rate, and motility. Significant changes in EPS production rate and motility were observed in both S. aureus and E. coli in the presence of GSE, while changes in hydrophobicity were observed only in E. coli. No relationship was seen between auto-aggregation and biofilm formation. Therefore, our results suggest that GSE might be used as an anti-biofilm agent that is effective against S. aureus and E. coli.

Discovery and biological evaluation of some (1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxybenzaldehyde derivatives containing an anthraquinone moiety as potent xanthine oxidase inhibitors.

A series of (1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxybenzaldehyde derivatives containing an anthraquinone moiety were synthesized and identified as novel xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Among them, the most promising compounds 1h and 1k were obtained with IC50 values of 0.6µM and 0.8µM, respectively, which were more than 10-fold potent compared with allopurinol. The Lineweaver-Burk plot revealed that compound 1h acted as a mixed-type xanthine oxidase inhibitor. SAR analysis showed that the benzaldehyde moiety played a more important role than the anthraquinone moiety for inhibition potency. The basis of significant inhibition of xanthine oxidase by 1h was rationalized by molecular modeling studies.

Seasonal Variations of C: N: P Stoichiometry and Their Trade-Offs in Different Organs of Suaeda salsa in Coastal Wetland of Yellow River Delta, China.

Variations of plant C: N: P stoichiometry could be affected by both some environmental fluctuations and plant physiological processes. However, the trade-off mechanism between them and their influencial factors were not understood completely. In this study, C, N, P contents and their stoichiometry of S. salsa's plant organs (leaves, stems, and roots), together with their environmental factors including salinity, pH, soil N and soil P, were examined in the intertidal and supratidal habitats of coastal wetlands during the different sampling times (May, July, September, November). The results showed that both plant organ and sampling times affected C, N, and P and stoichiometry of S. salsa in the intertidal and supratidal habitats, however, their influencial conditions and mechanisms were different. In the intertidal habitat, the different slopes of C-P and N-P within interspecific organs suggested that plant P, C:P and N:P of S. salsa were modulated by P concentrations that allocated in the specific organs. However, the slopes of C-N were found to be not significant within interspecific organs, but during the sampling times. These differences of plant N and C:N were related with the physiological demand for N in the specific life history stage. In the supratidal habitat, no significant differences were found in the slopes of C-N, C-P, and N-P within interspecific organs. However, different slopes of C-N among the sampling times also indicated a self-regulation strategy for plant N and C:N of S. salsa in different ontogenetic stages. In contrast to the intertidal habitat, seasonal variations of P, C:P and N:P ratios within interspecific organs reflected the soil P characteristics in the supratidal habitat. Our results showed that the stoichiometric constraint strategy of plant S. salsa in this region was strongly correlated with the local soil nutrient conditions.

A rapid and effective approach for on-site assessment of total carotenoid content in wolfberry juice during processing.

BACKGROUND: Carotenoid content analysis in wolfberry processed products has mainly focused on the determination of zeaxanthin or zeaxanthin dipalmitate, which cannot indicate the total carotenoid content (TCC) in wolfberries. RESULTS: We have exploited an effective approach for rapid extraction of carotenoid from wolfberry juice and determined TCC using UV-visible spectrophotometry. Several solvent mixtures, adsorption wavelengths of carotenoid extracts and extraction procedures were investigated. The optimal solvent mixture with broad spectrum polarity was hexane-ethanol-acetone (2:1:1) and optimal wavelength was 456 nm. There was no significant difference of TCC in wolfberry juice between direct extraction and saponification extraction. CONCLUSION: The developed method for assessment of TCC has been successfully employed in quality evaluation of wolfberry juice under different processing conditions. This measurement approach has inherent advantages (simplicity, rapidity, effectiveness) that make it appropriate for obtaining on-site information of TCC in wolfberry juice during processing.

Effects of four extracts of Chinese herbal medicines on cellular immunity in rats induced by multiple drugs resistant bacillus tuberculosis among pneumoconiosis patients complicated with tuberculosis / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective To investigate the regulative effect of the extract of Radix Ranunculi Ternati,Radix Sophorae Flavescenti,Prunella vulgaris L.and Stellera chamaejasme L.on cellular immunity induced by multiple drugs resistant bacillus tuberculosis(MDR-TB) from pneumoconiosis patients complicated with tuberculosis in rats.Methods MDR-TB model in rats was induced by MDR-TB.Normal control group were feed by standard feed,model group were irrigated by normal saline,and the other groups were respectively feed by the extract of Chinese herbal medicines.The content of IFN-γ,IL-4,IL-10 and IL-12 were examined by ELISA.RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of them.Results The content of IFN-γof the four extracts of Chinese herbal medicines were (2.01 ±0.73 ),( 1.92±0.56),( 1.98 ±0.67 ) and (1.94±0.59) pg/ml,IL-4 were (6.01±1.46),(6.12±1.35),(6.47±1.46) and (6.15±1.44) pg/ml,IL-10 were (12.09±3.07),( 12.45±4.01 ),( 12.13±3.43) and (12.54±3.78) pg/ml,IL-12 were (2.99±0.89),(2.75±0.84),(3.02±0.86) and (2.89±0.75) pg/ml.Compared to the model group,they resulted in significant in serum IFN-γ,IL-12,IL-4 and IL-10 (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 ),the mRNA levels of them were significantly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01 ).Conclusion The four extracts of Chinese herbal medicines can enhance the cellar immunological function in rats from up-regulation of the level of genetic transcription,accordingly provide the theory base of healing of pneumoconiosis patients complicated with tuberculosis with them.

Cardiac metallothionein induction plays the major role in the prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy by zinc supplementation.

BACKGROUND: Our previous studies showed that transgenic mice that overexpress cardiac-specific metallothionein (MT) are highly resistant to diabetes-induced cardiomyopathy. Zinc is the major metal that binds to MT under physiological conditions and is a potent inducer of MT. The present study therefore explored whether zinc supplementation can protect against diabetic cardiomyopathy through cardiac MT induction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Diabetes was induced in mice (C57BL/6J strain) by a single injection of streptozotocin. Half were supplemented intraperitoneally with zinc sulfate (5 mg/kg) every other day for 3 months. After zinc supplementation, mice were maintained for 3 more months and then examined for cardiomyopathy by functional and morphological analysis. Significant increases in cardiac morphological impairment, fibrosis, and dysfunction were observed in diabetic mice but not in diabetic mice supplemented with zinc. Zinc supplementation also induced a significant increase in cardiac MT expression. The role of MT in cardiac protection by zinc supplementation was examined in cultured cardiac cells that were directly exposed to high levels of glucose (HG) and free fatty acid (FFA) (palmitate), treatment that mimics diabetic conditions. Cell survival rate was significantly decreased for cells exposed to HG/FFA but did not change for cells exposed to HG/FFA and pretreated with zinc or low-dose cadmium, each of which induces significant MT synthesis. When MT expression was silenced with the use of MT small-interfering RNA, the preventive effect of pretreatment with zinc or low-dose cadmium was abolished. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy by zinc supplementation is predominantly mediated by an increase in cardiac MT.

Essentiality, toxicology and chelation therapy of zinc and copper.

Both zinc and copper are essential minerals that are required for various cellular functions. Although these metals are essential, they can be toxic at excess amounts, especially in certain genetic disorders. Zinc and copper homeostasis results from a coordinated regulation by different proteins involved in uptake, excretion and intracellular storage/trafficking of these metals. Apart from zinc transporters (ZnT) families and Cu-ATPase, metallothionein is an important storage protein for zinc and copper. Metallothioneins are intracellular polypeptides with a remarkable ability to bind metallic ions. These proteins bind both essential metals indispensable for the organism and also toxic metals (e.g. cadmium or lead). Metallothioneins play a critical role to maintain zinc and copper homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the toxicity of zinc and copper and the potential treatment for zinc or copper toxicity by zinc- or copper-specific chelators as well as strategy to up-regulate metallothionein.

Zinc and the diabetic heart.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential mineral that is required for various cellular functions. Its abnormal metabolism is related to certain disorders such as diabetic complications. Oxidative stress has been considered as the major causative factor for diabetic cardiomyopathy. Zn has a critical antioxidant action in protecting the heart from various oxidative stresses. Zn deficiency was found to be a risk factor for cardiac oxidative damage and supplementation with Zn provides a significant prevention of oxidative damage to the heart. Diabetes causes a significant systemic oxidative stress and also often is accompanied by Zn deficiency that increases the susceptibility of the heart to oxidative damage. Therefore, there is a strong rationale to consider the strategy of Zn supplementation to prevent or delay diabetic cardiomyopathy. This short article collects the preliminary evidence, based on our own studies and those by others, for a preventive effect of Zn supplementation on diabetes-induced injury to the heart in animals and under in vitro conditions. Possible mechanisms by which Zn supplementation prevents diabetic heart disease are discussed. They include an antioxidant action of Zn, insulin function and metallothionein induction. In the final section, the future of Zn supplementation for diabetic patients is also briefly discussed. Although Zn supplementation has not been clinically used to prevent diabetic complications, because several issues need to be addressed, the fact that Zn supplementation is being used clinically for other disorders encourages us to explore its direct clinical application for the prevention of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Mapping of extreme resistance to PVY (Ry (sto)) on chromosome XII using anther-culture-derived primary dihaploid potato lines.

The inheritance of extreme resistance to PVY (Ry (sto)) by a single dominant locus was confirmed by obtaining a 1:1 segregation ratio in a virus inoculation test with 28 resistant (Ryry) to 29 susceptible (ryry) anther culture-derived dihaploid lines (2n=2x=24) from cv. "Assia" (2n=4x=48) having extreme resistance derived from Solanum stoloniferum in simplex constitution (Ryryryry). Twelve Ry (sto) markers selected in AFLP assays using bulked segregant analysis were applied to 106 tested potato cultivars from Germany, The Netherlands and Poland and 19 potato cultivars were identified by these markers as extremely resistant to PVY in alignment with phenotypic data. The locus for extreme resistance (Ry (sto)) to PVY was mapped on chromosome XII co-segregating with the SSR marker STM 0003. The utility of anther-culture derived dihaploid potatoes for genetic marker development was demonstrated. Marker transferability from diploids to tetraploids provides an optimistic potential for marker-assisted selection in potato breeding programs.