Dietary supplementation of osthole and icariin improves the production performance of laying hens by promoting follicular development.

Osthole (Ost) and icariin (Ica) are extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Cnidium monnieri and Epimedii Folium, respectively, and both exhibit estrogen-like biological activity. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of combining Ost with Ica on the production performance of laying hens and to explore their possible mechanisms. The production performance, egg quality, residues of Ost and Ica in eggs, serum reproductive hormone levels, expression of ovarian reproductive hormone receptor, proliferation of granulosa cells in small yellow follicles (SYF), and progesterone secretion in large yellow follicles (LYF) related genes and proteins expression were detected. The results showed that adding 2 mg/kg Ost + 2 mg/kg Ica to the feed increased the laying rate, average egg weight, Haugh unit, and protein height of laying hens. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone (P4) levels increased, and the expression of ovarian estrogen receptor (ER), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and progesterone receptor (PGR) mRNA was up-regulated. Additionally, the mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenesis acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), and 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD) increased in LYF. Furthermore, mRNA and protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin E1, and cyclin A2 were up-regulated in SYF. The residues of Ost and Ica in egg samples were not detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Ost and Ica increased granulosa cells proliferation in SYF and increased P4 secretion in granulosa cells of LYF, ultimately improving the production performance of laying hens.

Multiresponsive luminescent metal-organic framework for cooking oil adulteration detection and gallium(III) sensing.

A new 3D metal-organic framework {[Cd16(tr2btd)10(dcdps)16(H2O)3(EtOH)]∙15DMF}n (MOF 1, tr2btd = 4,7-di(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)benzo-2,1,3-thiadiazole, H2dcdps = 4,4'-sulfonyldibenzoic acid) was obtained and its luminescent properties were studied. MOF 1 exhibited bright blue-green luminescence with a high quantum yield of 74 % and luminescence quenching response to a toxic natural polyphenol gossypol and luminescence enhancement response to some trivalent metal cations (Fe3+, Cr3+, Al3+ and Ga3+). The limit of gossypol detection was 0.20 µM and the determination was not interfered by the components of the cottonseed oil. The limit of detection of gallium(III) was 1.1 µM. It was demonstrated that MOF 1 may be used for distinguishing between the genuine sunflower oil and oil adulterated by crude cottonseed oil through qualitative luminescent and quantitative visual gossypol determination.

Unveiling the Anticancer Mechanism of Echinops davuricus: Isolation and Evaluation of AKR1B10 Inhibitors.

Five compounds (1-5), one long-chain fatty acid (1), two thiophenes (2 and 3), one alkaloid (4), and one phenyl ester (5), were isolated from the aerial part of Echinops davuricus. The structures of the products were established by performing detailed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, and the structure of compound 1 was determined via high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS) and NMR. Compounds 1, 4, and 5 were isolated from Echinops davuricus for the first time. Based on network pharmacology methods, AKR1B10 was selected as a key anticancer target. Compounds 1 and 5 exhibited significant AKR1B10 inhibitory activities, with IC50 values of 156.0±1.00 and 146.2±1.50 nM, respectively, with epalrestat used as the positive control (81.09±0.61 nM). Additionally, the interactions between the active compounds and AKR1B10 were evaluated via molecular docking. Ultimately, the GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the key signaling pathways associated with the active compounds may be related to the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, apoptotic, cellular senescence, and TNF signaling pathways and the human diseases corresponding to the targets are cancer. Our study reveals for the first time the anticancer properties of Echinops davuricus and provides a comprehensive understanding of its application in traditional medicine.

Development of AKR1B10 inhibitors from Ajuga nipponensis based on diseases and targets.

Ten compounds (1-10) including one new neoclerodane diterpenoid (1) and nine known compounds were isolated from the whole plants of Ajuga nipponensis. Their structures were established by performing detailed analysis of NMR, the structure of 1 was determined using HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR, UV, and IR. Compounds 1 and 4-10 were isolated from Ajuga nipponensis for the first time. And it was the first time to report compounds 9 and 10 as natural products. Based on network pharmacology methods, 45 key targets were selected, which were compounds mapping to diseases. And compounds 2, 3, 7, and a (ajugacumbin B) exhibited excellent AKR1B10 inhibitory activities, with IC50 values of 53.05 ± 0.75, 87.22 ± 0.85, 61.85 ± 0.66, and 85.19±1.02 nM respectively, with Epalrestat used as the positive control (82.09 ± 1.62 nM). Additionally, the interaction between active compounds and AKR1B10 had been discussed according to the molecular docking results. Ultimately, the analysis of GO and KEGG enrichment indicated that the key signaling pathway of the active compounds may be related to prostate cancer. Our study results demonstrate the hypoglycemic and anti-tumor properties of A. nipponensis for the first time, and provide a comprehensive understanding of its application in traditional medicine. Furthermore, this article establishes a reference for further research on the optimized experimental design of novel AKR1B10 inhibitors.

Matrine Targets Intestinal Lactobacillus acidophilus to Inhibit Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Infection in Mice.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) has caused huge economic losses to the pig industry across the world. Matrine is a natural compound that has been shown to regulate intestinal flora and has anti-PCV2 activity in mouse models. PCV2 infection can lead to changes in intestinal flora. The intestinal flora has proved to be one of the important pharmacological targets of the active components of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This study aimed to determine whether matrine exerts anti-PCV2 effects by regulating intestinal flora. In this study, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was used to evaluate the effect of matrine on the intestinal flora of PCV2-infected Kunming (KM) mice. The expression of the Cap gene in the liver and the ileum, the relative expression of IL-1ß mRNA, and the Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) gene in the ileum of mice were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). ELISA was used to analyze the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in small intestinal fluid. L. acidophilus was isolated and identified from the feces of KM mice in order to study its anti-PCV2 effect in vivo. The expression of the Cap gene in the liver and the ileum and the relative expression of L. acidophilus and IL-1ß mRNA in the ileum were determined by qPCR. The results showed that matrine could reduce the relative expression of IL-1ß mRNA by regulating intestinal flora, and that its pharmacological anti-PCV2 and effect may be related to L. acidophilus. L. acidophilus was successfully isolated and identified from the feces of KM mice. The in vivo experiment revealed that administration of L. acidophilus also reduced the relative expression of IL-1ß mRNA, and that it had anti-PCV2 effects in PCV2-infected mice. It was found that matrine could regulate the abundance of L. acidophilus in the gut of mice to exert an anti-PCV2 effect and inhibit PCV2-induced inflammatory response.

Iron Complexes with Antarctic Krill-Derived Peptides Show Superior Effectiveness to Their Original Protein-Iron Complexes in Mice with Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Antarctic krill protein-iron complex and peptide-iron complex were acquired to investigate their iron bioavailability, expression of iron-regulated genes, and in vivo antioxidant capacity. Results indicated that the Antarctic krill peptide-iron complex significantly increased the hemoglobin (Hb), serum iron (SI), and iron contents in the liver and spleen in iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) mice (p < 0.05) compared with those of the Antarctic krill protein-iron complex. Despite the gene expressions of the divalent metal transporter 1(DMT1), the transferrin (Tf), and the transferrin receptor (TfR) being better regulated by both Antarctic krill peptide-iron complex and protein-iron complex, the relative iron bioavailability of the Antarctic krill peptide-iron complex group (152.53 ± 21.05%) was significantly higher than that of the protein-iron complex group (112.75 ± 9.60%) (p < 0.05). Moreover, Antarctic krill peptide-iron complex could enhance the antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), reduce the malondialdehyde (MDA) level in IDA mice compared with the protein-iron complex, and reduce the cell damage caused by IDA. Therefore, these results indicated that Antarctic krill peptide-iron complex could be used as a highly efficient and multifunctional iron supplement.

A comprehensive analysis of the Bencao (herbal) small RNA Atlas reveals novel RNA therapeutics for treating human diseases.

Cross-kingdom herbal miRNA was first reported in 2012. Using a modified herbal extraction protocol, we obtained 73,677,287 sequences by RNA-seq from 245 traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), of which 20,758,257 were unique sequences. We constructed a Bencao (herbal) small RNA (sRNA) Atlas ( http://bencao.bmicc.cn ), annotated the sequences by sequence-based clustering, and created a nomenclature system for Bencao sRNAs. The profiles of 21,757 miRNAs in the Atlas were highly consistent with those of plant miRNAs in miRBase. Using software tools, our results demonstrated that all human genes might be regulated by sRNAs from the Bencao sRNA Atlas, part of the predicted human target genes were experimentally validated, suggesting that Bencao sRNAs might be one of the main bioactive components of herbal medicines. We established roadmaps for oligonucleotide drugs development and optimization of TCM prescriptions. Moreover, the decoctosome, a lipo-nano particle consisting of 0.5%-2.5% of the decoction, demonstrated potent medical effects. We propose a Bencao (herbal) Index, including small-molecule compounds (SM), protein peptides (P), nucleic acid (N), non-nucleic and non-proteinogenic large-molecule compounds (LM) and elements from Mendeleev's periodic table (E), to quantitatively measure the medical effects of botanic medicine. The Bencao sRNA Atlas is a resource for developing gene-targeting oligonucleotide drugs and optimizing botanical medicine, and may provide potential remedies for the theory and practice of one medicine.

Pan-Cancer Study of the Prognosistic Value of Selenium Phosphate Synthase 1.

Objective: This study sought to determine the mean prognostic usefulness of seleniumphosphate synthase (SEPHS1) by investigating its expression in 33 human malignancies and its relationship to tumor immunity.Methods: The expression of selenophosphate synthase 1 (SEPHS1) in 33 human malignant tumors was examined using the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and TIMER databases. Furthermore, the TCGA cohort was used to investigate relationships between SEPHS1 and immunological checkpoint genes (ICGs), tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and DNA mismatch repair genes (MMRs). To establish independent risk factors and calculate survival probabilities for liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) and brain lower-grade glioma (LGG), Cox regression models and Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized. Eventually, the Genomics of Cancer Drug Sensitivity (GDSC) database was used to evaluate the drug sensitivity in LGG and LIHC patients with high SEPHS1 expression.Results: Overall, in numerous tumor tissues, SEPHS1 was highly expressed, and it significantly linked with the prognosis of LGG, ACC, and LIHC (P < .05). Furthermore, in numerous cancers, SEPHS1 expression was linked to tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), TMB, MSI, and MMRs. According to univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, SEPHS1 expression was significant for patients with LGG and LIHC.Conclusion: High SEPHS1 expression has a better prognosis for LGG, while low SEPHS1 expression has a better prognosis for LIHC. Chemotherapy was advised for LGG patients, particularly for those with high SEPHS1 expression because it can predict how responsive patients will be to 5-Fluorouracil and Temozolomide. This interaction between SEPHS1 and chemoradiotherapy has a positive clinical impact and may be used as evidence for chemotherapy for LGG and LIHC patients.

Serum from acupuncture-treated asthmatic rats regulates p38-MAPK activation in airway smooth muscle cells.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the regulation function of acupuncture on airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) of asthmatic rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were challenged using inhalational Ovalbumin (OVA) to establish an asthma model. The acupuncture points (GV14 for Dazhui, bilateral BL12 for Fengmen, and bilateral BL13 for Feishu) were stimulated for asthma relief. The ASMCs isolated from asthmatic rats were incubated in medium containing the serum obtained from asthmatic rats treated with acupuncture. The expression levels of p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK were determined by immunocytochemical and western blot. RESULTS: ASMCs were successfully isolated and cultured. The 20% acupuncture treatment of asthmatic rat serum had the least effect on the proliferation ability of asthmatic ASMCs. The serum from asthmatic rats treated with acupuncture could decrease the expression of p-p38 MAPK in asthmatic rat ASMCs. CONCLUSIONS: The serum from acupuncture-treated asthmatic rats has an effect on treating asthma in rats, and the mechanism of action may be by regulating the p38 pathway.

Oral administration of the herbal oligonucleotide XKC-sRNA-h3 prevents angiotensin II-induced hypertension in mice.

Hypertension has become a growing public health concern worldwide. In fact, hypertension is commonly associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Currently, oligonucleotide drugs have proven to be promising therapeutic agents for various diseases. In the present study, we aimed to demonstrate that a herbal small RNA (sRNA), XKC-sRNA-h3 (B55710460, F221. I000082.B11), exhibits potent antihypertensive effects by targeting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in mice. When compared with captopril, oral administration of the sphingosine (d18:1)-XKC-sRNA-h3 bencaosome more effectively prevented angiotensin II-induced hypertensive cardiac damage and alleviated kidney injury in mice. Such findings indicated that XKC-sRNA-h3 may be a novel orally available ACE inhibitor type oligonucleotide drug for hypertension.

Baicalin ameliorates high fat diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in mice via adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase-mediated regulation of SREBP1/Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver disease around the world, imposing severe threats on human health. Unfortunately, no clinically approved drugs are available for use as yet. Baicalin (BA) is reported to have hepatoprotective effects, and it is not clear whether BA can treat NAFLD and how. Here, a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD mouse model was established to explore the protective roles and mechanisms of BA against HFD-induced NAFLD. Physiochemical results showed that BA exhibited significantly protective effects against HFD-induced NAFLD in mice. Liver transcriptomic analysis revealed that BA attenuated HFD-induced NAFLD via activating AMPK pathway, which was confirmed by the AMPK inhibitor Compound C. Additionally, the expression changes of AMPK downstream genes demonstrated that BA exerted ameliorative effects against NAFLD through AMPK-mediated inhibition of SREBP1 and NF-κB pathways, and activation of Nrf2 pathway. Taken together, our study reveals the protective roles of BA against HFD-caused NAFLD through AMPK-mediated modulation of SREBP1/Nrf2/NF-κB pathways, suggesting that BA has potential drug development implications. Most importantly, our study creates a paradigm through the combination of molecular biology and bioinformatics for further studies of action mechanisms of biomolecules combating diseases.

Iron delivery systems for controlled release of iron and enhancement of iron absorption and bioavailability.

Iron deficiency is a global nutritional problem, and adding iron salts directly to food will have certain side effects on the human body. Therefore, there is growing interest in food-grade iron delivery systems. This review provides an overview of iron delivery systems, with emphasis on the controlled release of iron during gastrointestinal digestion, as well as the enhancement of iron absorption and bioavailability. Iron-bearing proteins are easily degraded by digestive enzymes and absorbed through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Instead, protein aggregates are slowly degraded in the stomach, which delays iron release and serves as a potential iron supplement. Amino acids, peptides and polysaccharides can bind iron through iron binding sites, but the formed compounds are prone to dissociation in the stomach. Moreover, peptides and polysaccharides can deliver iron by mediating the formation of ferric oxyhydroxide which is absorbed through endocytosis or bivalent transporter 1. In addition, liposomes are unstable during gastric digestion and iron is released in large quantities. Complexes formed by polysaccharides and proteins, and microcapsules formed by polysaccharides can delay the release of iron in the gastric environment and prolong iron release in the intestinal environment. This review is conducive to the development of iron functional ingredients and dietary supplements.

Network Pharmacology Analysis, Molecular Docking, and In Vitro Verification Reveal the Action Mechanism of Prunella vulgaris L. in Treating Breast Cancer.

Background: Prunella vulgaris L. is effective in the treatment of breast cancer (BRCA); however, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of treatment of BRCA by P. vulgaris using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, and to verify the experimental results using human BRCA MDA-MB-231 cells. Methods: Active components and action targets of P. vulgaris were determined using the TCMSP™, SwissTarget Prediction™, and TargetNet™ databases. GeneCards™ and OMIM™ provided BRCA targets. After obtaining common targets, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING™ database, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were conducted using the Xiantao™ academic database. Cytoscape™ was used to construct "single drug-disease-component-target" and "single drug-disease-component-target-pathway" networks. The Human Protein Atlas™ was used to determine protein expression levels in BRCA cell lines. AutoDock tools™ were used to carry out molecular docking for the first 10 targets of quercetin and the PPI network. Finally, the abovementioned results were verified using cell experiments. Results: We obtained 11 active components, 198 targets, and 179 common targets, including DUOX2, MET, TOP2A, and ERBB3. The results of KEGG pathway analysis screened 188 related signaling pathways and indicated the potential key role of PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling pathways in the antibreast cancer process of P. vulgaris. The results of molecular docking showed that the first 10 targets of quercetin interacted well with the protein network. Cell experiments showed that quercetin effectively inhibited the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells by regulating apoptosis and cell cycle, which may be partly related to the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: Synergistic effects of multiple components, targets, and pathways on the anti-BRCA activity of P. vulgaris could provide a theoretical basis for further study on its complex anti-BRCA mechanism.

Effect of Oxytocin Combined with Different Volume of Water Sac in High-Risk Term Pregnancies.

Objective: The study estimated the impacts of water sac of different capacities combined with oxytocin (OXT) on pregnant women with high-risk term pregnancies. Methods: Women with high-risk term pregnancies who received OXT were enrolled to perform labor induction using 30 mL (group A), 80 mL (group B), and 150 mL (group C), followed by the comparisons regarding to the success rate of labor induction, cesarean section rate, duration of induced labor to labor, duration of the first stage of labor, postpartum blood loss, the incidence of adverse reactions, and the assessment of cervical ripening using Bishop Score. Besides, neonatal weight, Apgar score, as well as psychological status, and satisfaction of patients were compared among these groups. Results: As compared with group A, the success rate of induced labor was higher in groups B and C with lower cesarean section rate and shorter duration of induced labor to labor, but the duration of the first stage of labor in group B was the shortest among the three groups. The amount of postpartum hemorrhage decreased stepwise from groups A to B to C. In addition, groups A and B showed a reduced incidence of adverse reactions than group C, but the highest level of cervical ripening and highest patient satisfaction was revealed in group C and group B, respectively. Furthermore, the highest patient satisfaction was found in group B. Conclusion: The usage of an 80 mL water sac combined with OXT in high-risk term pregnancy has ideal induction effects, which can guarantee maternal cervical maturity and shorten the time of the first stage of labor.

A novel strategy for optimal component formula of anti-PRRSV from natural compounds using tandem mass tag labeled proteomic analyses.

BACKGROUND: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most important porcine viral diseases which have been threatening the pig industry in China. At present, most commercial vaccines fail to provide complete protection because of highly genetic diversity of PRRSV strains. This study aimed to optimize a component formula from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)compounds with defined chemical characteristics and clear mechanism of action against PRRSV. METHODS: A total of 13 natural compounds were screened for the anti-PRRSV activity using porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). Three compounds with strong anti-PRRSV activity were selected to identify their potential protein targets by proteomic analysis. The optimal compound formula was determined by orthogonal design based on the results of proteomics. MTT assay was used to determine the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration (MNTC) of each compound using PAMs. QPCR and western blot were used to investigate the PRRSV N gene and protein expression, respectively. The Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) technique of relative quantitative proteomics was used to detect the differential protein expression of PAMs treated with PRRSV, matrine (MT), glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and tea saponin (TS), respectively. The three concentrations of these compounds with anti-PRRSV activity were used for orthogonal design. Four formulas with high safety were screened by MTT assay and their anti-PRRSV effects were evaluated. RESULTS: MT, GA and TS inhibited PRRSV replication in a dose-dependent manner. CCL8, IFIT3, IFIH1 and ISG15 were the top four proteins in expression level change in cells treated with MT, GA or TS. The relative expression of IFIT3, IFIH1, ISG15 and IFN-ß mRNAs were consistent with the results of proteomics. The component formula (0.4 mg/mL MT + 0.25 mg/mL GA + 1.95 µg/mL TS) showed synergistic anti-PRRSV effect. CONCLUSIONS: The component formula possessed anti-PRRSV activity in vitro, in which the optimal dosage on PAMs was 0.4 mg/mL MT + 0.25 mg/mL GA + 1.95 µg/mL TS. Compatibility of the formula was superposition of the same target with GA and TS, while different targets of MT. IFN-ß may be one of the targets of the component formula possessed anti-PRRSV activity.

Strategies to Improve Photodynamic Therapy Efficacy of Metal-Free Semiconducting Conjugated Polymers.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive therapy for cancer and bacterial infection. Metal-free semiconducting conjugated polymers (SCPS) with good stability and optical and electrical properties are promising photosensitizers (PSs) for PDT compared with traditional small-molecule PSs. This review analyzes the latest progress of strategies to improve PDT effect of linear, planar, and three-dimensional SCPS, including improving solubility, adjusting conjugated structure, enhancing PS-doped SCPs, and combining therapies. Moreover, the current issues, such as hypoxia, low penetration, targeting and biosafety of SCPS, and corresponding strategies, are discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and potential opportunities on further improvement of PDT for SCPs are presented.

Status and potential diagnostic roles of essential trace elements in Kashin- Beck disease patients.

BACKGROUND: This updated and comprehensive meta-analysis study sought to explore the changes of seven essential trace elements, including selenium (Se), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), fluorine (F), iodine (I) and copper (Cu) in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) patients compared with healthy individuals. The findings of the current study will provide a valuable reference for implementation of early clinical intervention and prevention of KBD. METHODS: All related articles included in this review were retrieved from the following databases: Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang Data, China Biology Medicine disc (CBM disc), PubMed and Web of Science up to April 30, 2020. The following combination keywords were used as the search criteria: "(Kashin-Beck disease OR KBD) AND ((selenium OR iron OR zinc OR manganese OR fluorine OR iodine OR copper) OR (Se OR Fe OR Zn OR Mn OR F OR I OR Cu))". All statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 16.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 55 articles were included in the current study. Meta-analysis showed that the levels of serum Se (SMD = -2.37, 95 % CI: -1.58 to -0.72, P < 0.00001), hair Se (SMD = -2.19, 95 % CI: -3.05 to -1.33, P < 0.00001), urinary Se (SMD = -2.36, 95 % CI: -3.26 to -1.46, P < 0.00001) and erythrocyte Se (SMD = -5.12, 95 % CI: -9.55 to -0.69, P = 0.02) were significantly lower in KBD patients compared with the levels in healthy controls. Then, the findings showed that the levels of serum F (SMD = -0.58, 95 % CI: -1.04 to -0.12, P = 0.01) and hair I (SMD = -0.57, 95 % CI: -1.06 to -0.08, P = 0.02) in patients were substantially lower than that in controls. Analysis showed that the levels of hair Zn (SMD = 0.26, 95 % CI: 0.04 to 0.49, P = 0.02) and hair Mn (SMD = 0.55, 95 % CI: 0.24 to 0.85, P = 0.0005) were markedly higher in patients compared with the levels in healthy controls. Notably, urinary Se (AUC = 0.7851, P = 0.0235, Sensitivity = 81.82 %, Specificity = 81.82 %) showed a good diagnostic value for KBD. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the current study showed that the levels of Se, serum F and hair I were lower in patients with KBD compared with those in healthy controls, whereas the levels of hair Zn and hair Mn were higher in KBD patients compared with the levels in controls. This outcome would be further validated in our future studies. Of note, these results indicated that Se, F and I deficiencies were associated with the pathogenesis of KBD.

Selenium concentration is associated with occurrence and diagnosis of three cardiovascular diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se) is a vital trace element playing its biological functions through selenoprotein, which has been implicated in various physiological and pathological processes. A growing number of studies indicate that low Se increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This meta-analysis aimed to compare and analyze differences in Se levels between patients with heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), coronary heart disease (CHD), and healthy people. This will provide ideas with the potential to improve clinical intervention and prevention of CVDs. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical databases were systematically searched for relevant publications until November 20, 2020. The following combination keywords were used: "(heart failure disease OR myocardial infarction OR coronary heart disease) AND (selenium OR Se)". The identified studies were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria and extracted data were analyzed using RevMan5.3 and State 16.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 49 eligible studies (including 61 cohorts) were obtained. Results of the meta-analysis showed that there was a significant difference in Se levels between HF, MI, CHD patients and healthy people. The standard mean difference (SMD) level of Se in HF patients [SMD = -0.98, 95 % CI (-1.34, -0.62)], MI patients [MI: SMD = -3.46, 95 % CI (-4.43, -2.85)], and CHD patients [CHD: SMD = -0.47, 95 % CI (-0.64, -0.28)] were all significantly lower compared to healthy controls. Analysis of the correlation between Se level and publication year showed that SMD of Se levels in HF and controls was positively correlated with time. Se level was found to be a good diagnostic marker of MI (AUC = 0.7107, P = 0.0167, Sensitivity = 77.27 %, Specificity = 72.73 %). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis shows that Se levels in patients with HF, MI, and CHD are generally lower compared with healthy controls. However, due to the small number of included studies, further studies are needed to confirm the present results.

Elucidating the Calcium-Binding Site, Absorption Activities, and Thermal Stability of Egg White Peptide-Calcium Chelate.

With the current study, we aimed to determine the characteristics and calcium absorption capacity of egg white peptide-calcium complex (EWP-Ca) and determine the effect of sterilization on EWP-Ca to study the possibility of EWP-Ca as a new potential calcium supplement. The results of SEM and EDS showed a high calcium chelating ability between EWP and calcium, and the structure of EWP-Ca was clustered spherical particles due its combination with calcium. The FTIR and Raman spectrum results showed that EWP could chelate with calcium by carboxyl, phosphate, and amino groups, and peptide bonds may also participate in peptide-calcium binding. Moreover, the calcium absorption of EWP-Ca measured by the intestinal everted sac model in rats was 32.38 ± 6.83 µg/mL, significantly higher than the sample with CaCl2, and the mixture of EWP and Ca (p < 0.05) revealed appropriate calcium absorption capacity. The fluorescence spectra and CD spectra showed that sterilization caused a decrease in the content of α-helix and ß-sheet and a significant increase in ß-turn (p < 0.05). Sterilization changed the EWP-Ca structure and decreased its stability; the calcium-binding capacity of EWP-Ca after sterilization was decreased to 41.19% (p < 0.05). Overall, these findings showed that EWP could bind with calcium, form a peptide-calcium chelate, and serve as novel carriers for calcium supplements.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and biological activities of Arisaematis Rhizoma].

Arisaematis Rhizoma included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia is the dried tuber of Arisaema erubescens, A. heterophyllum or A. amurense in the family Araceae. This paper mainly focuses on the classification and summary of the chemical components and structures reported in recent years in the above three varieties of this medicinal material included in the pharmacopoeia, including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, lignans and benzene ring derivatives, steroids and terpenes, glycosides and esters, etc. Then we reviewed the reported biological activities of these chemical components, including cytotoxicity, antitumor activity, antibacterial activity, nematicidal activity, etc. Although there have been reports on the review of the chemical composition of the medicinal material, the structure and classification of the chemical composition in these reviews are not clear enough. This review provides a basis for the later study of the chemical composition of this medicinal material, especially the identification of the chemical structures. And most of the current reviews on the biological activity of this medicinal material are mainly for the crude extract. This paper mainly summarized the biological activity of related monomer compounds and expected to lay a foundation for the development of novel high-efficiency and low-toxicity active leading compounds from Arisaematis Rhizoma.