Chitosan-coated soybean protein isolate/lecithin nanoparticles for enhancing the stability and bioaccessibility of phytosterol.

BACKGROUND: Phytosterols (PS) have various beneficial effects on human health, especially the property of reducing blood cholesterol. However, the low solubility and bioaccessibility of PS have greatly limited their application in functional food ingredients. RESULTS: To improve the bioaccessibility and stability of PS, chitosan-coated PS nanoparticles (CS-PNP) were successfully prepared by self-assembly. The properties of CS-PNP, including size, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and loading amount (LA) were characterised. The optimisation of CS concentration (0.4 mg mL-1) and pH (3.5) resulted in the formation of CS-PNP with an EE of over 90% and a particle size of 187.7 nm. Due to the special properties of CS chitosan, the interaction between CS and soybean protein isolate (SPI)/lecithin (SL) led to the formation of a soluble complex. CS-PNP exhibited good stability to temperature variations but was more sensitive to salt ions. During in vitro digestion, CS efficiently maintained the stability of nanoparticles against the hydrolysis of SPI by pepsin under acidic conditions. However, these nanoparticles tended to aggregate in a neutral intestinal environment. After 3 h of in vitro digestion, the bioaccessibility of PS increased from 18.2% of free PS to 63.5% of CS-PNP. CONCLUSION: Overall, these results highlight the potential of chitosan-coated nanoparticles as effective carriers for the oral administration of PS. This multilayer construction may serve as a promising for applications in food products as delivery vehicles for nutraceuticals. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Phytochemical-rich vegetable and fruit juice alleviates oral mucositis during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Background: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT)-induced oral mucositis (OM) causes oral pain, malnutrition, and impaired quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Phytochemicals play a potential role in eliminating cancer therapy toxicity. Objective: To evaluate the effect of phytochemical-rich vegetable and fruit juice (VFJ) consumption in preventing CCRT-induced OM among patients with locally advanced HNC. Methods: Forty-nine patients with HNC undergoing CCRT were enrolled. All patients received nutritional counseling before CCRT and weekly follow-up. The VFJ group (25 patients) received 600 mL/day VFJ, 5 days/week for two weeks preceding CCRT and during CCRT, and the control group (24 patients) did not. The contents of total polyphenols and carotenoids in the VFJ were determined. Changes in anthropometric, dietary, and laboratory profiles were compared. Assessment of OM was based on the World Health Organization (WHO) scoring system. Results: Total polyphenols content was 64.6 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100 mL of the VFJ, and the main carotenoids were ß-carotene and lycopene. The mean daily consumption of the VFJ was 538 mL for VFJ group. Changes in body weight, albumin, and energy intake were not significantly different between the two groups. The incidence of ulcerative OM was significantly lower in VFJ (64.0%) than in control (95.8%) subjects at week 6 of CCRT. Multiple logistic regressions revealed that VFJ consumption correlated significantly with lower risks of ulcerative OM. Conclusion: Consumption of VFJ rich in phytochemicals including total polyphenols and carotenoids effectively alleviates the severity of CCRT-induced OM among patients with locally advanced HNC. Section: Preventive Medicine; Dietary Therapy/Nutrition Supplements. Taxonomy: (classification by EVISE)Preventive medicine, dietary therapy, nutrition supplements.

A Novel Biocontrol Strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FS6 for Excellent Control of Gray Mold and Seedling Diseases of Ginseng.

The biocontrol efficacy of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FS6 against seedling diseases and gray mold of ginseng (Panax ginseng), as well as application techniques, were evaluated in a series of field trials. FS6 fermentation broth showed a strong antagonistic effect against the ginseng fungal pathogens, and the inhibition rates on mycelial growth and spore germination were 84 to 88% and 71 to 72%, respectively. Field evaluation showed that combination of seed and soil treatments exhibited better protection than that of individual treatment alone. FS6 wettable powder soil treatment in combination with thiamethoxam plus metalaxyl-M plus fludioxonil for seed coating performed the best, with >83% overall control efficacy for seedling diseases. FS6 had a long-acting effect of >78% control efficacy on ginseng gray mold at 30 days after the last application, almost 2.5- and 2-fold better than that of B. amyloliquefaciens B7900 wettable powder and cyprodinil, respectively. In addition, FS6 reduced the diversity and relative abundance of fungi and affected the fungi and bacterial composition in the rhizosphere soil of ginseng. Therefore, FS6 can be used to effectively control seedling diseases and gray mold in ginseng.

Effect of flaxseed oil on muscle protein loss and carbohydrate oxidation impairment in a pig model after lipopolysaccharide challenge.

Flaxseed oil is rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the metabolic precursor of EPA and DHA. The present study investigated the effect of flaxseed oil supplementation on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced muscle atrophy and carbohydrate oxidation impairment in a piglet model. Twenty-four weaned pigs were used in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment including dietary treatment (5 % maize oil v. 5 % flaxseed oil) and LPS challenge (saline v. LPS). On day 21 of treatment, the pigs were injected intraperitoneally with 100 µg/kg body weight LPS or sterile saline. At 4 h after injection, blood, gastrocnemius muscle and longissimus dorsi muscle were collected. Flaxseed oil supplementation increased ALA, EPA, total n-3 PUFA contents, protein:DNA ratio and pyruvate dehydrogenase complex quantity in muscles (P < 0·05). In addition, flaxseed oil reduced mRNA expression of toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain protein (NOD) 2 and their downstream signalling molecules in muscles and decreased plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, and mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 (P < 0·05). Moreover, flaxseed oil inclusion increased the ratios of phosphorylated protein kinase B (Akt) 1:total Akt1 and phosphorylated Forkhead box O (FOXO) 1:total FOXO1 and reduced mRNA expression of FOXO1, muscle RING finger (MuRF) 1 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 in muscles (P < 0·05). These results suggest that flaxseed oil might have a positive effect on alleviating muscle protein loss and carbohydrates oxidation impairment induced by LPS challenge through regulation of the TLR4/NOD and Akt/FOXO signalling pathways.

Medium-chain TAG improve intestinal integrity by suppressing toll-like receptor 4, nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain proteins and necroptosis signalling in weanling piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide.

This study was conducted to evaluate whether medium-chain TAG (MCT) could alleviate Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal injury by regulating intestinal epithelial inflammatory response, as well as necroptosis. A total of twenty-four weanling piglets were randomly allotted to one of four treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement including diet type (5 % maize oil v. 4 % MCT+1 % maize oil) and immune stress (saline v. E. coli LPS). The piglets were fed diets containing maize oil or MCT for 21 d. On 21 d, piglets were injected intraperitoneally with saline or LPS. The blood and intestinal samples were collected at 4 h post injection. Supplementation with MCT improved intestinal morphology, digestive and barrier function, indicated by increased jejunal villus height, increased jejunal and ileal disaccharidases (sucrase and maltase) activities, as well as enhanced protein expression of claudin-1. Furthermore, the protein expression of heat-shock protein 70 in jejunum and the concentration of TNF-α in plasma were reduced in the piglets fed diets supplemented with MCT. In addition, MCT down-regulated the mRNA expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain proteins (NOD) signalling-related genes in jejunum and ileum. Finally, MCT inhibited jejunal and ileal enterocyte necroptosis indicated by suppressed mRNA expression of the receptor-interacting protein 3 and mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein. These results indicate that MCT supplementation may be closely related to inhibition of TLR4, NOD and necroptosis signalling pathways and concomitant improvement of intestinal integrity under an inflammatory condition.

Flaxseed Oil Attenuates Intestinal Damage and Inflammation by Regulating Necroptosis and TLR4/NOD Signaling Pathways Following Lipopolysaccharide Challenge in a Piglet Model.

SCOPE: Flaxseed oil is a rich source of α-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the precursor of the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). This study investigates the protective effect of flaxseed oil against intestinal injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MATERIALS AND RESULTS: Twenty-four weaned pigs were used in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with dietary treatment (5% corn oil vs 5% flaxseed oil) and LPS challenge (saline vs LPS). On day 21 of the experiment, pigs were administrated with LPS or saline. At 2 h and 4 h post-administration, blood samples were collected. After the blood harvest at 4 h, all piglets were slaughtered and intestinal samples were collected. Flaxseed oil supplementation led to the enrichment of ALA, EPA, and total n-3 PUFAs in intestine. Flaxseed oil improved intestinal morphology, jejunal lactase activity, and claudin-1 protein expression. Flaxseed oil downregulated the mRNA expression of intestinal necroptotic signals. Flaxseed oil also downregulated the mRNA expression of intestinal toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) and its downstream signals myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain proteins 1, 2 (NOD1, NOD2) and its adapter molecule, receptor-interacting protein kinase 2 (RIPK2). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that dietary addition of flaxseed oil enhances intestinal integrity and barrier function, which is involved in modulating necroptosis and TLR4/NOD signaling pathways.

Dissipation, residues, and safety evaluation of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole on ginseng and soil.

Supervised field trials at two locations in 2012 and 2013 were conducted to evaluate the dissipation, terminal residues, and safety evaluation of Nativo 75 water dispersible granule (WG) (25 % trifloxystrobin + 50 % tebuconazole) on ginseng and soil following foliar application at a recommended dose 150 (50 + 100) and 1.5 times of the recommended dosage 225 (75 + 150) g a.i. ha(-1). The average recoveries of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole at three spiking levels in ginseng root, stem, and leaf and in soil were in the ranges of 81.0-96.8 % and 80.2-97.5 % with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 4.92-13.13 % and 4.67-8.35 %, respectively. The half-lives of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole were 5.92-9.76 days and 4.59-7.53 days, respectively. The terminal residues were all below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of EU, USA, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. The food safety was evaluated by comparing the estimated daily intake (IEDI) with its acceptable daily intake (ADI). IEDI values calculated from residue data were found to be far less than the ADI on ginseng. Therefore, it would be unlikely to cause health problems induced by Nativo 75 WG use on ginseng at a dosage of 150-225 g a.i. ha(-1).

Dissipation behavior of hexaconazole and kresoxim-methyl residues in ginseng and soil under field conditions.

The dissipation and terminal residues of a fungicide suspension (5% hexaconazole, 25% kresoxim-methyl) in ginseng and soil were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). At fortified levels of 0.01, 0.02, and 0.20 mg kg(-1), the recoveries of hexaconazole and kresoxim-methyl were in the range of 80.6∼94.8% and 82.4∼98.8% with relative standard deviation of 3.42-9.12% and 3.19-8.58%, respectively. The half-lives were 7.09-10.73 days in root, 6.80-7.95 days in stem, 5.31-8.49 days in leaf, and 6.30-7.97 days in soil. The terminal residues were all below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of EU and South Korea. Risk assessment results indicated that the risk of hexaconazole and kresoxim-methyl use in ginseng at dosage of 60-90 g a.i. ha(-1) was negligible to humans. This work would help the government to establish the MRL and provide guidance on the proper and safe use of hexaconazole and kresoxim-methyl in ginseng.

[Determination of myclobutanil 25% WG degradation dynamics in ginseng root, stem, leaf and soil by HPLC-MS/MS].

A high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for determining degradation dynamics and final residues of myclobutanil 25% WG in ginseng root, stem, leaf and soil. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile, cleaned-up with primary secondary amine (PSA) solid phase extraction cartridge, separated by Kromasil Eternity-5-C18 (2.1 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) column with a gradient of acetonitrile and 0.1% formate in water as mobile phases, and analyzed with the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) in positive ion mode by employing the external standard method. The average recoveries and the relative standard derivations (RSDs) of myclobutanil at the spiked level of 0.01-0.20 mg x kg(-1) were 80.9%-90.7% and 5.54%-9.29%, respectively, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.005 mg x kg(-1). The method with good reproducible, high precision and low detection limit could meet the requirements of residual analysis on ginseng production. The half-lives of myclobutanil were from 6.25 days to 9.94 days in ginseng root, stem, leaf and soil at spraying dosage of 1 152 g x hm(-2) The final residues were below 0.060 1 mg x kg(-1) in root, below 0.081 7 mg x kg(-1) in stem, 0.006 0-0.102 2 mg x kg(-1) in leaf and below 0.037 6 mg x kg(-1) in soil at spraying dosage range from 576 to 1 152 g x hm(-2). It is recommended that the MRLs of myclobutanil in dried ginseng may be suggested to be 0.10 mg x kg(-1) temporarily, and the preharvest interval was set at 35 days.

Dissipation and residues determination of propamocarb in ginseng and soil by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry.

Two-year field trials were performed at two experimental sites to investigate dissipation and terminal residues of propamocarb in ginseng root, stem, leaf, and soil by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Mean recoveries ranged from 80.5 to 95.6% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 5.5-9.1% at fortified levels of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05 and 0.20 mg kg(-1). The half-lives of propamocarb were 5.00-11.36 days in root, 5.07-11.46 days in stem, 6.83-11.31 days in leaf and 6.44-8.43 days in soil. The terminal residues of propamocarb were below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of EU (0.20 mg kg(-1)) and South Korea (0.50 mg kg(-1) in fresh ginseng and 1.0 mg kg(-1) in dried ginseng) over 28 days after last spraying at recommended dosage. The results provide a quantitative basis for establishing the MRL and give a suggestion of safe and reasonable use of propamocarb in ginseng.

Determination of perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate in cooking oil and pig adipose tissue using reversed-phase liquid-liquid extraction followed by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are two perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) ubiquitously present in the environment, which could pose potential adverse effects on human health. Contamination and presence of PFOA and PFOS should be eliminated or rigidly restricted in food stuffs such as cooking oils and lard (from pig adipose tissue). This work describes a rapid, simple, reliable and sensitive method for quantitative analysis of PFOA and PFOS in cooking oils and pig adipose tissue with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The pretreatment mainly included a one-step reversed-phase liquid-liquid extraction using the mixture of basified water/methanol as the aqueous system, and dichloromethane (DCM) as the non-polar system. PFOA and PFOS can be successfully separated from the two lipid-rich matrices, i.e., cooking oil and adipose tissue, and extracted into the aqueous system, and then directly analyzed with LC-MS/MS. This method was validated in terms of accuracy (both intra- and inter-batch), precision, recovery, linearity, sensitivity and applicability. The intra-batch accuracies for PFOA and PFOS in cooking oil samples were within 93.9-101.9% with relative standard deviation (RSD) no more than 10.9%, and the inter-batch accuracies were 91.2-96.2% with RSD not exceeding 10.0%. The intra-batch accuracies of the analytes in pig adipose tissue samples were 102.9-113.0% with RSD of 8.8-13.1%. And the quantification ranges of PFOA and PFOS were 0.01-25ng/mL. This method has been applied to the analysis of PFOA and PFOS in real samples collected from local markets in Guangzhou, China.

Distribution, behavior and fate of azole antifungals during mechanical, biological, and chemical treatments in sewage treatment plants in China.

Residue of azole antifungals in the environment is of concern due to the environmental risks and persistence. Distribution, behavior, and fate of frequently used azole antifungal pharmaceuticals were investigated in wastewater at two sewage treatment plants (STPs) in China. Fluconazole, clotrimazole, econazole, ketoconazole, and miconazole were constantly detected at 1-1834 ng L(-1) in the wastewater. The latter four were also ubiquitously detected in sewage sludge. Fluconazole passed through treatment in the STPs and largely remained in the final effluent. On the contrary, biotransformation and sorption to sludge occurred to the other azoles. Ketoconazole was more readily bio-transformed, whereas clotrimazole, econazole, and miconazole were more likely to be adsorbed onto and persisted in sewage sludge. Lipophilicity plays the governing role on adsorption. The highest concentrations in the raw wastewater were observed in winter for the azole pharmaceuticals except for fluconazole. The seasonal difference was smoothed out after treatment in the STPs.