[Molecular identification of animal species of Bufonis Venenum from secretions].

The animal species is one of the key factors affecting the quality of Bufonis Venenum. The quality of Bufonis Venenum derived from Bufo bufo gargarizans is significantly higher than that from B. melanostictus. Since Bufonis Venenum is from secretions, the conventional identification methods are difficult to identify the animal species due to the lack of the appearance and morphology of the animals. The rapid development of molecular identification technology has provided new methods for the identification of Bufonis Venenum. However, because of the low content and serve degradation of residual DNA in secretions, the research on the molecular identification of Chinese medicinal materials from secretions remains to be carried out. To understand the animal species of Bufonis Venenum, this study collected 83 samples of Bufonis Venenum, including 7 commercially available samples, 5 reference medicinal materials, and 71 animal samples from which Bufonis Venenum was prepared according to the method in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Different DNA extraction methods were used and compared, and the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene fragments were amplified, on the basis of which the phylogenetic trees were built. Finally, molecular identification of the animal species of the samples was performed. The results showed that the DNA extracted from Bufonis Venenum by the reagent kit had good quality, and 16S rRNA sequences were successfully amplified from 80 out of the 83 samples. In addition, 71 16S rRNA sequences of the animal species of Bufonis Venenum were downloaded from GenBank. The phylogenetic trees constructed based on the neighbor-joining(NJ) method and the Bayesian inference(BI) method showed that the samples derived from B. bufo gargarizans and B. melanostictus were clustered into separate monophyletic clades, with the support of 100%(NJ) and 1.00(BI), respectively. The animal species of both commercially available samples and reference medicinal materials were B. bufo gargarizans. In conclusion, DNA can be extracted from Bufonis Venenum derived from secretions, and the 16S rRNA gene sequences can be amplified, which can be used for molecular identification of the animal species of Bufonis Venenum. The findings provide a reference for the quality control of Bufonis Venenum and the identification of animal species of medicinal materials derived from secretions.

A novel film based on gluten, pectin, and polyphenols and its potential application in high-fat food.

BACKGROUND: A novel film based on some natural ingredients (wheat gluten, pectin, and polyphenols) was used to improve the quality and storage stability of high-fat food due to their good sustainable, mechanical, and edible properties. RESULTS: With the addition of polyphenols from Cedrus deodara (in the form of pine-needle extract (PNE)), the physicochemical properties (thickness, moisture content, and color), mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation), barrier properties (water vapor, oil, and oxygen permeability, transmittance), and thermal stability of the composite film were improved. According to the analysis of infrared spectroscopy and molecular docking, the main compounds of PNE interacted with wheat gluten by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces to form a compact and stable structure. In addition, the composite film showed a remarkable antioxidant capability to scavenge free radicals, and the film matrix could effectively protect the antioxidant activity of PNE. Furthermore, using cured meat as a model, the composite film exhibited a fine packaging performance in high-fat food during storage, which could obviously inhibit the excessive oxidation of fat and protein of cured meat and was beneficial in forming its special flavor. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the composite film possessed good properties and had potential for packing of high-fat foods, which could improve the quality and safety of food during processing and storage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Insight into property, function, and digestion of potato starch modified by phenolic compounds with varying structures.

Influences of structural characteristics of phenolic compounds on the properties of potato starch were investigated, and their effects on the quality, function, and digestion of potato starch noodles were further determined. All testing phenolic compounds (including protocatechuic acid [PA], naringin [NA], and tannic acid [TA]) exhibited the significant capability to modify the thermal properties, rheological properties, and enzymatic hydrolysis of potato starch. The high amount of hydroxyl groups, the presence of glycoside structure, appropriate molecular size, and steric hindrance were beneficial to enhance their effects on potato starch. In addition, by changing the microstructure of starch hydrocolloids, PA, NA, and TA could affect the color, texture properties, and cooking properties of potato starch noodles. Meanwhile, PA and TA could endow potato starch noodles with remarkable antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the in vitro digestion of potato starch noodles was obviously inhibited by phenolic compounds, especially for TA. All present results suggested that structural characteristics of phenolic compounds affected their interaction affinity and combination degree with potato starch molecules, so as to modify the properties of starch and affect the quality, function, and digestion of starchy foods, which showed the valuable applications in food and chemical industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The property, function, and digestion characteristics of potato starch show the significant effects on the quality of potato starch products in food industry. In present study, the thermal properties, rheological properties, and enzymatic hydrolysis of potato starch were modified by different phenolic compounds (including protocatechuic acid, naringin, and tannic acid) in varying degrees, whereas the quality, antioxidant activity, and digestion characteristic of potato starch noodles were modified by phenolic compounds with different structures. All results showed the potential application and interaction regularities of phenolic compounds as natural additives for potato starch processing in food industry.

Effects of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract on the quality of peanut and palm oils during storage and frying process.

The potential uses of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract as a natural antioxidant to protect the quality of different oils during storage and frying process were studied. The results showed that L. robustum extract has been shown to retard the decline in the quality of both oils based on the tests of acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, color, volatile flavor, and fatty acid compositions, and the protective effect of L. robustum extract on the quality of peanut oil was better than that of palm oil. By the component analysis, L. robustum extract was found to have a total phenols content of 140.75 ± 1.52 mg/g, and ligurobustoside C was identified as the main phenolic compound. The thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that L. robustum extract enhanced the oxidative stability of peanut and palm oils. In addition, Fourier transform infrared results indicated that L. robustum extract had protective effects on the C=C bond and ester bond of oil molecule. Moreover, by using electron spin resonance technique, L. robustum extract showed the ability to inhibit and scavenge alkyl-free radicals in both oils. The present results suggested that L. robustum extract may protect the quality of oils during the storage and frying process by inhibiting the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and might be a potential natural antioxidant in the food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The excellent antioxidant ability of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract on the oxidation of different oils and its low price indicated that it could be used as a new low-cost natural antioxidant in oil processing.

Gliadin interacted with tea polyphenols: potential application and action mechanism.

The effect of tea polyphenols (TPs) on noodles quality was investigated, and the interaction mechanism between catechins and gliadins was explored. With TPs addition, noodles showed the significant changes in physicochemical and sensory properties. The water absorption, tensile strength and elasticity increased by 1.35%, 4.98%, 28.51% with 0.5% of TPs, and then decreased with the increasing of TPs. According to the determinations of surface hydrophobicity, spatial structure, thermal properties, amidogen and sulfhydryl content, the structure and properties of gliadin were affected by catechins. Esterified catechins tended to disrupt gliadin structures and non-esterified catechins polymerised gliadin molecules. Furthermore, molecular docking results indicated that catechins interacted with gliadin mainly by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic action. The reactivity of catechins with gliadin was in the sequence as: epigallocatechin gallate > epicatechin gallate > epigallocatechin > epicatechin, which was based on the account of gallate and B-ring hydroxyl number discrepancy. All results suggested that catechins affected greatly on gliadin, and TPs were potentially used to improve the quality of flour products.

Effect of tea polyphenols on the quality of Chinese steamed bun and the action mechanism.

Effect of tea polyphenols (TP) on the quality of Chinese steamed bun (CSB) was investigated, while the interaction and action mechanism between TP and vital wheat gluten (VWG, constitutive proteins of flour) were further explored. With a low concentration (1%) of TP, CSB showed positive changes in quality, and the hardness of CSB decreased by 33.95%, while its specific volume, springiness, and resilience separately increased by 1.8%, 11.9%, and 5.5%, whereas the higher concentrations of TP (2% and 4%) caused an adverse impact. By observation of scanning electron microscope, VWG formed a fluffier structure with a low concentration of TP, while the structure deteriorated at high concentration of TP. In addition, the secondary and tertiary structures of VWG were both changed by TP. Along with the results of thermodynamic analysis (thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry measurements), TP could induce the structural rearrangement of VWG. Further, a lower amidogen and sulfhydryl contents of VWG were obtained in TP groups, which illustrated that peptide and disulfide bonds of VWG were not possibly interrupted by TP. Instead, hydrophobic residues of VWG were bonded to form a more hydrophilic structure. Moreover, according to molecular docking results, epigallocatechin-3-gallate interacted tightly with VWG by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic actions, and the action sites were mainly at hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues. All results suggested that the VWG structure was affected greatly by TP, and a low dose of TP might be potential to improve the quality of flour products. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The physicochemical properties of gluten show the significant effects on the quality of flour products in food industry. In the present study, a low dose of tea polyphenols exhibited a strengthened effect on gluten, so as to ameliorate the texture of Chinese steamed bun (CSB) due to their tight interactions with gluten, while the color of CSB was changed to brown as tea polyphenols. All results suggested that a low dose of tea polyphenols could be potentially utilized to improve flour quality and enhance gluten strength in food industry.

Potential of phenolic compounds in Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume as antioxidant and lipase inhibitors: Multi-spectroscopic methods and molecular docking.

Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume is traditionally served as a functional tea in China. In this work, the antioxidant activities of L. robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract (LRE) were evaluated and its inhibitory effect and mechanism on pancreatic lipase were further investigated. With the high contents of phenols (139.70 ± 1.41 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract) and flavonoids (326.46 ± 7.36 mg rutin equivalent/g extract), LRE showed significant antioxidant activities (p < 0.05) for scavenging free radicals and hydrogen peroxide, inhibiting lipid peroxidation and providing strong reducing power. Meanwhile, LRE displayed remarkable inhibitory activity on pancreatic lipase with a low half-effective inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) of 2.469 ± 0.005 mg/ml which was further determined as non-competitive inhibition. The spectroscopic results showed that LRE inhibited the activity of pancreatic lipase by modifying the tertiary and secondary structures of lipase. Moreover, four phenolic compounds (acteoside, lipedoside A, oleuropein and ligurobustoside C) were identified from LRE by the high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole- time of flight-mass spectrometry. In addition, according to molecular docking analysis, the four phenols could interact with pancreatic lipase by hydrogen bonds, so as to change the spatial structure of pancreatic lipase and inhibit its catalytic activity. The present results suggest that LRE not only exhibits strong antioxidant capacity but possesses effectively inhibitory activity on pancreatic lipase, which might have the potential to be developed as functional food and nutraceuticals for the prevention of metabolic diseases. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract has been confirmed to possess antioxidant activity and lipase inhibitory activity, which indicates that the L. robustum extract has the potential to prevent oxidative stress and regulate fat metabolism. This work suggests that L. robustum extract can be served as a novel resource to prepare nutraceuticals and functional food in food industries.

Effect of Cedrus deodara extract on the physiochemical and sensory properties of salted meat and its action mechanism.

The effect of pine needle extract from Cedrus deodara (PNE) on the quality of salted meat was reported, and its action mechanism was further investigated. With the treatment of PNE, the physicochemical properties of salted meat were improved. The peroxide value decreased from 16.18 to 6.78 mmol O2 /kg, while the thiobarbituric acid value decreased from 0.79 to 0.40 mg MDA/kg. Moreover, the salted meat with PNE also had the better texture, color, and volatile compositions. The 0.2% PNE group showed the highest ΔE value (63.16 ± 0.56), hardness (813.5 ± 48.7 g), and volatility (45.86 ± 0.39), while the control group showed the lowest ΔE value (43.92 ± 2.13), hardness (515.8 ± 17.3 g) and volatility (29.97 ± 0.56). In addition, with the analysis of fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy, the spatial structures of myofibrillar protein (MP) in salted meat were obviously changed by PNE. Meanwhile, methylconiferin, 1-O-feruloyl-ß-D-glucose, nortrachelogenin, secoxyloganin, 1-O-(4-coumaroyl)-ß-D-glucose and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside were identified from PNE. Furthermore, according to the analysis of molecular docking, hydrogen bond, hydrophobic force, and electrostatic force were obtained as the main molecular forces between MP and the phenolic compounds of PNE, while arginine, glutamic acid, and glycine residues were the main binding sites. All results suggested that PNE might be a potential candidate to improve the quality of salted meat in the food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The quality deterioration of meat may not only affect its further processing and consumption but also may lead to some food safety problems. In present study, PNE exhibited the fine capability to inhibit the oxidation of meat, while it could ameliorate the texture, color, and physicochemical properties of meat due to its tightly interaction with myofibrillar protein. All result suggested that PNE could be potentially utilized to improve the quality of meat in food industry.

Preparation of a functional yogurt with Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume and its action mechanism.

A functional yogurt was prepared with Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume extract (LRE), while its antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities were evaluated and its action mechanism was further explored. With the cofermentation of LRE, the yogurt showed the fine quality characteristics, including pH, titratable acidity, texture, syneresis susceptibility, color, microbiological content, and chemical composition. Meanwhile, the yogurt exhibited the remarkable antioxidant capability to enhance the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduce the malondialdehyde level in animal serums. In addition, the yogurt showed the obvious hypoglycemic activity to inhibit the decrease of glucose tolerance and the increase of postprandial hyperglycemia of diabetes mice. Furthermore, using the analysis of molecular docking, the main compounds of LRE could combine tightly with α-amylase and α-glucosidase by hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction, so as to change their spatial structure and inhibit their biocatalytic activity in glucose metabolism. All present results suggested that LRE showed the potential value to be used as supplement to enhance the quality and functions of yogurt in food industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The hypoglycemic and antioxidant activities of a functional yogurt cofermented with LRE were found and its relative action mechanism was also explored. This work provide the experimental and theoretical basis for the application of this yogurt as nutraceuticals to protect human health in food industry.

Network pharmacology-based analysis of effective components and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis in treating diabetes

Objective: To identify the active ingredients, potential targets, and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis by bioinformatics method, and to explore the hypoglycemic effect of Rhizoma coptidis by in vitro experiments. Methods: The chemical components of Rhizoma coptidis were collected through database search, and oral bioavailability and drug-likeness were used for preliminary screening. The targets of Rhizoma coptidis and diabetes-related targets were collected by database retrieval and reverse docking techniques, and the biological process of cross-set proteins was analyzed. The inhibitory effects of Rhizoma coptidis on α-glucosidase, α-amylase activity, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were determined via in vitro experiments. In addition, the effects of Rhizoma coptidis on pre-adipocyte differentiation, absorption of glucose by adipocytes, and the level of intracellular triglyceride were investigated using the adipocyte differentiation model. Results: There were 11 potentially active ingredients in Rhizoma coptidis. IL-6, caspase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MYC, and estrogen receptor 1 were considered as the key genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rhizoma coptidis played an anti-diabetic role mainly via biological processes and signaling pathways including hormone receptor activity, glutathione binding, steroid binding, etc. In vitro experiments showed that the extract of Rhizoma coptidis inhibited the activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and the generation of AGEs; meanwhile, the extract promoted the absorption of glucose by adipocytes. In addition, the extract of Rhizoma coptidis decreased triglyceride level. Conclusions: Our network pharmacology and in vitro experiments demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects and possible underlying mechanisms of Rhizoma coptidis extract.

Network pharmacology-based analysis of effective components and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis in treating diabetes

Objective: To identify the active ingredients, potential targets, and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis by bioinformatics method, and to explore the hypoglycemic effect of Rhizoma coptidis by in vitro experiments. Methods: The chemical components of Rhizoma coptidis were collected through database search, and oral bioavailability and drug-likeness were used for preliminary screening. The targets of Rhizoma coptidis and diabetes-related targets were collected by database retrieval and reverse docking techniques, and the biological process of cross-set proteins was analyzed. The inhibitory effects of Rhizoma coptidis on α-glucosidase, α-amylase activity, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were determined via in vitro experiments. In addition, the effects of Rhizoma coptidis on pre-adipocyte differentiation, absorption of glucose by adipocytes, and the level of intracellular triglyceride were investigated using the adipocyte differentiation model. Results: There were 11 potentially active ingredients in Rhizoma coptidis. IL-6, caspase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MYC, and estrogen receptor 1 were considered as the key genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rhizoma coptidis played an anti-diabetic role mainly via biological processes and signaling pathways including hormone receptor activity, glutathione binding, steroid binding, etc. In vitro experiments showed that the extract of Rhizoma coptidis inhibited the activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and the generation of AGEs; meanwhile, the extract promoted the absorption of glucose by adipocytes. In addition, the extract of Rhizoma coptidis decreased triglyceride level. Conclusions: Our network pharmacology and in vitro experiments demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects and possible underlying mechanisms of Rhizoma coptidis extract.

Network pharmacology-based analysis of effective components and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis in treating diabetes

Objective: To identify the active ingredients, potential targets, and mechanism of Rhizoma coptidis by bioinformatics method, and to explore the hypoglycemic effect of Rhizoma coptidis by in vitro experiments. Methods: The chemical components of Rhizoma coptidis were collected through database search, and oral bioavailability and drug-likeness were used for preliminary screening. The targets of Rhizoma coptidis and diabetes-related targets were collected by database retrieval and reverse docking techniques, and the biological process of cross-set proteins was analyzed. The inhibitory effects of Rhizoma coptidis on α-glucosidase, α-amylase activity, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were determined via in vitro experiments. In addition, the effects of Rhizoma coptidis on pre-adipocyte differentiation, absorption of glucose by adipocytes, and the level of intracellular triglyceride were investigated using the adipocyte differentiation model. Results: There were 11 potentially active ingredients in Rhizoma coptidis. IL-6, caspase-3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), MYC, and estrogen receptor 1 were considered as the key genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that Rhizoma coptidis played an anti-diabetic role mainly via biological processes and signaling pathways including hormone receptor activity, glutathione binding, steroid binding, etc. In vitro experiments showed that the extract of Rhizoma coptidis inhibited the activities of α-glucosidase and α-amylase, and the generation of AGEs; meanwhile, the extract promoted the absorption of glucose by adipocytes. In addition, the extract of Rhizoma coptidis decreased triglyceride level. Conclusions: Our network pharmacology and in vitro experiments demonstrate the anti-diabetic effects and possible underlying mechanisms of Rhizoma coptidis extract.

Study on time-toxicity relationship and mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus extract on hepatoxicity in rats based on proteomics / 中国中药杂志

To study the time-toxicity relationship and mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus extract on the hepatoxicity in rats. Rats were randomly divided into C group(0 day), D5 group(5 days), D12 group(12 days), D19 group(19 days), and D26 group(7 days recovery after 19 days of administration). The rats in normal group received normal saline through intragastric administration, and the rats in other groups received 10 g·kg~(-1 )Gardeniae Fructus extract through intragastric administration. After the final administration, the livers were collected. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the liver tissue. Total liver proteins were extracted for proteomic analysis, detected by the Nano-ESI liquid-mass spectrometry system and identified by Protein Disco-very software. SIEVE software was used for relative quantitative and qualitative analysis of proteins. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed based on STRING. Cytoscape software was used for cluster analysis of differential proteins. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) database was used to perform enrichment signal pathway analysis. Pearson correlation analysis was performed for the screened differential protein expression and liver pathology degree score. The results showed that the severity of liver injury in D5, D12 and D19 groups was significantly higher than that in group C. The degree of liver damage in D5 group was slightly higher than that in D12 and D19 groups, with no significant difference between group D26 and group C. Totally 147 key differential proteins have been screened out by proteomics and mainly formed 6 clusters, involving in drug metabolism pathways, retinol metabolism pathways, proteasomes, amino acid biosynthesis pathways, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. The results of Pearson correlation analysis indicated that differential protein expressions had a certain temporal relationship with the change of liver pathological degree. The above results indicated that the severity of liver damage caused by Gardeniae Fructus extract did not increase with time and would recover after drug with drawal. The above pathways may be related to the mechanism of liver injury induced by Gardeniae Fructus extract.

Effects and mechanism of tea polyphenols on the quality of oil during frying process.

The effects and action mechanism of tea polyphenols (TP) on the quality of rapeseed oil during frying process were investigated. Results showed that compared with control, TP (0.04%, w/w) exhibited the remarkable ability to inhibit the deterioration of acid value, peroxide value, anisidine value, viscosity, and color of frying oil. By using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, frying oil with TP showed the higher content of unsaturated fatty acids (72.79%) and lower content of trans fatty acids (3.36%) than those of control. Meanwhile, frying oil with TP had a higher total phenolic content than control at the same frying time. In addition, the thermo gravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry results showed that TP could increase the oxidation stability of rapeseed oil. Furthermore, according to the Fourier transform infrared and molecular dynamic simulation results, TP could reduce the breaking degree of = C-H bond, C-O-C bond, and C = C bond in oil molecules, and inhibit the oxidation of oil components by inhibiting the generation of free radicals and eliminating free radicals. All present results suggested that TP showed the potential value to be used for protecting the quality of oil during the frying process in food and chemical industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The inhibitory effect of tea polyphenols on the deterioration of quality of rapeseed oil during frying was found and the mechanism had also preliminarily interpretation. This work provided a method for monitoring the quality of fry oil and provided the theoretical basis for the use of tea polyphenols in frying.

The effect of Chinese wild blueberry fractions on the growth and membrane integrity of various foodborne pathogens.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effect of Chinese wild blueberry extract and its fractions against Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Chinese wild blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) crude extract (BBE) was obtained using methanol extraction, and sugars plus organic acids (F1), phenolics fraction (F2), and anthocyanins plus proanthocyanidins (F3) fractions were separated using C-18 Sep-Pak columns. The minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration of each fractional component were determined using a two-fold-serial dilution method. Nucleic acid leakage (OD260 nm ) and protein release (Bradford protein assay) were determined by spectrophotometry, to evaluate the permeability of the cell membrane. F3 was found to exhibit the greatest antimicrobial activity against the four tested strains, followed by F2, F1, and BBE. V. parahaemolyticus was the most sensitive to the all fractions, followed by S. Enteritidis, L. monocytogenes, and S. aureus. Survival curve analysis showed that the number of bacteria decreased from six log colony-forming units (CFU) to less than 10 CFU after bacteria were treated with fractions for 12 hr, which demonstrated the bactericidal effect of blueberry fractions. Furthermore, when the pathogens were treated with fractions for 2 hr, the OD260 nm and OD595 nm values increased significantly (P < 0.01), which indicated the significant release of nucleic acid and protein. The results from this study indicated that blueberry fractions, especially F3, inhibited the growth of foodborne pathogens by damaging their cell membrane, and may be developed as a natural preservative to prevent and control foodborne pathogens. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: A blueberry crude extract and its sugars plus organic acids, phenolics, and anthocyanins plus proanthocyanidins fractions, inhibited the growth of foodborne pathogens by destroying their cell membrane. Therefore, Chinese wild blueberries have potential as a natural preservative to prevent and control foodborne pathogens.

LOT regulates TGN biogenesis and Golgi structure in plants.

Trans-Golgi Network (TGN) is an essential organelle in eukaryotic cells. It acts not only as the sorting station of trafficking cargoes, but also as a signaling hub. In plant cells, TGN simultaneously takes the role of early endosome (EE) and contributes to the endocytic recycling. We recently characterized the first Golgi-localized protein Loss of TGNs (LOT) that is critical for TGN biogenesis and demonstrated its role during pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis. We also showed that the homozygous lot plant is dwarf and smaller than the wild type plant. As LOT is a single-copy gene and shows ubiquitous expression pattern, knowledge of its role in vegetative tissues, besides the pollen, is important for understanding the regulation of TGN/EE dynamics and signaling in plant development. Here, in this short communication, we present data to show that LOT also regulates TGN formation and Golgi structure in root meristem cells, and is critical for the elongation of hypocotyl and stamen filament.

BICELLULAR POLLEN 1 is a modulator of DNA replication and pollen development in Arabidopsis.

During male gametogenesis in Arabidopsis, the haploid microspore undergoes an asymmetric division to produce a vegetative and a generative cell, the latter of which continues to divide symmetrically to form two sperms. This simple system couples cell cycle with cell fate specification. Here we addressed the role of DNA replication in male gametogenesis using a mutant bicellular pollen 1 (bice1), which produces bicellular, rather than tricellular, pollen grains as in the wild-type plant at anthesis. The mutation prolonged DNA synthesis of the generative cell, which resulted in c. 40% of pollen grains arrested at the two-nucleate stage. The extended S phase did not impact the cell fate of the generative cell as shown by cell-specific markers. BICE1 encodes a plant homolog of human D123 protein that is required for G1 progression, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here we showed that BICE1 interacts with MCM4 and MCM7 of the pre-replication complex. Consistently, double mutations in BICE1 and MCM4, or MCM7, also led to bicellular pollen and condensed chromosomes. These suggest that BICE1 plays a role in modulating DNA replication via interaction with MCM4 and MCM7.

Effects of Astragalus membranaceus fiber on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, microbial composition, VFA production, gut pH, and immunity of weaned pigs.

Astragalus membranaceus is an herbaceous perennial plant, growing to about 2 feet tall, with sprawling stems and alternate leaves about 12-24 leaflets. In total, 24 cross bred (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) piglets weaned at 4 weeks with an average body weight of 10.84 ± 1.86 kg, were divided into four groups and randomly assigned to dietary treatments containing different AMSLF levels (0.00%, 2.50%, 5.00%, and 7.50%). The piglets in the control group (0.00% AMSLF) were fed basal diet and other treatment groups were fed basal diet in addition to 2.50%, 5.00%, and 7.50% pulverized AMSLF. The results indicated that supplementation with AMSLF significantly (p < 0.05) decreased diarrheal incidence in piglets. There was significant difference between treatment in terms of ADFI, ADG and FCR. Both 5.00% and 7.50% treatments significantly increased growth performance. The digestibility of gross energy and dry matter increased (p > 0.05) with increasing AMSLF level. The level of blood IL-2 and TNF-α were significantly affected by AMSLF supplementation with 7.50% AMSLF group having higher (p < 0.05) IL-2 and TNF-α levels than the other treatment groups. The 16SrDNA sequencing results from the four treatments showed that the potentially active bacterial microbial population and diversity in pig cecum were dominated by the phyla Bacteriodetes and Firmicutes regardless of the AMSLF supplementation. The Shannon diversity, PD whole tree diversity indices and Chao analyses exhibited significant variability in species richness across the treatments. The principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed significant (p < 0.1) differences between bacterial communities in all treatment groups. Results from the current study suggested that AMSLF supplementation increased composition of bacterial microbiota in pig gut. In conclusion, dietary supplements with AMSLF could potentially be used to prevent diarrheal incidence and improved pig production.

Comparison of multi-mode and single-mode intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in the treatment of severe ossification of the cervical posterior longitudinal ligament with anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the application of multi-mode and single-mode intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in the treatment of severe ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament of cervical spine with anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion.@*METHODS@#From April 2015 to June 2018, 32 patients with severe ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament were treated in the Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. There were 21 males and 11 females, aged 45 to 73 years old, with a mean age of 59 years old. The duration of the disease ranged from 6 to 72 months, with a mean of 39 months. The main manifestations were numbness, numbness and weakness of limbs, cotton feeling of foot stepping on lower limbs, instability of standing and walking. With the gradual aggravation of symptoms, quadriplegia, dysfunction of urine and defecation may occur. Patients with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament of cervical spine were monitored by somatosensory evoked potentials, motor evoked potentials and electromyogram patterns.@*RESULTS@#During the operation, 8 patients had abnormal amplitude of somatosensory evoked potential(SEP); 5 of them had bleeding during anterior cervical decompression procedure and were placed with too much hemostatic cotton, which caused compression of spinal cord and resulted in abnormal SEP waveform. After removal of the hemostatic cotton, SEP waveform returned ot normal; 3 patients had abnormal SEP waveform due to decreased systolic pressure, which was corrected by increased systolic pressure. Twelve patients had abnormal amplitude of motor evoked potential during monitoring, 9 of which were caused by intraoperative mis-contact with nerve root, and turned to normal after timely adjustment of position, 3 of which were caused by intraoperative inhalation of muscle relaxant during surgery. Among 11 patients with abnormal EMG waveform, 9 patients recovered to normal waveform after adjusting operation, 2 patients recovered to normal waveform after short observation, and all patients recovered to normal waveform of motor evoked potential after operation(<0.05). There were 2 cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage after operation, which healed spontaneously 7 days after operation, and no complications of spinal cord and nerve occurred in all patients after operation.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In anterior cervical corpectomy with fusion operation for the treatment of severe cervical ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament, various modes of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring can real-time understand spinal cord and nerve function status, significantly reduce the incidence of spinal cord and nerve injury during operation, and effectively improve the safety of operation.

Performance of single-pass and by-pass multi-step multi-soil-layering systems for low-(C/N)-ratio polluted river water treatment.

Two kinds of hybrid two-step multi-soil-layering (MSL) systems loaded with different filter medias (zeolite-ceramsite MSL-1 and ceramsite-red clay MSL-2) were set-up for the low-(C/N)-ratio polluted river water treatment. A long-term pollutant removal performance of these two kinds of MSL systems was evaluated for 214 days. By-pass was employed in MSL systems to evaluate its effect on nitrogen removal enhancement. Zeolite-ceramsite single-pass MSL-1 system owns outstanding ammonia removal capability (24 g NH4+-Nm-2d-1), 3 times higher than MSL-2 without zeolite under low aeration rate condition (0.8 × 104 L m-2.h-1). Aeration rate up to 1.6 × 104 L m-2.h-1 well satisfied the requirement of complete nitrification in first unit of both two MSLs. However, weak denitrification in second unit was commonly observed. By-pass of 50% influent into second unit can improve about 20% TN removal rate for both MSL-1 and MSL-2. Complete nitrification and denitrification was achieved in by-pass MSL systems after addition of carbon source with the resulting C/N ratio up to 2.5. The characters of biofilms distributed in different sections inside MSL-1 system well illustrated the nitrogen removal mechanism inside MSL systems. Two kinds of MSLs are both promising as an appealing nitrifying biofilm reactor. Recirculation can be considered further for by-pass MSL-2 system to ensure a complete ammonia removal.