Influence of the Essential Oil of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. on Sunflower Oil during the Deep-frying Process of Chinese Maye.

Sunflower oil (SFO) is faced with serious oxidation problems during the deep-frying of Chinese Maye, and the search for natural antioxidants has become a focus of scientific research due to the potential toxicity of synthetic antioxidants. In the present study, the Foeniculum vulgare Mill. essential oil (FVEO), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) were added to SFO for a 30 h deep frying experiment and the results showed that FVEO added to sunflower oil at 1 g/kg was similar to that of TBHQ-0.01 g/kg, and FVEO-1.5 g/kg would promote the oxidation of SFO. FVEO to sunflower oil also prominently restrained the decrease of the sensory properties of the fried product, Chinese Maye, including appearance, taste, flavor and overall acceptance by 24.2%, 20.2%, 46.1% and 56.0% (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05), respectively. The results indicated that FVEO could be used as a natural antioxidant to replace TBHQ in the deep-frying process of SFO, but further research is needed on the key antioxidant constituent of FVEO.

Clinical Evaluation of Levetiracetam in the Treatment of Epilepsy.

Objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by episodes of seizure. Methods: In this study, patients with status epilepticus in the Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Neurology of Qujing First People's Hospital were collected and treated with levetiracetam injection, continuous bedside EEG monitoring (cEEG) technology, and quantitative EEG (qEEG) technique. The inhibitory effects of different doses of levetiracetam injection and sodium valproate on abnormal discharge, the improvement of clinical symptoms, the incidence of adverse reactions, and prognosis were monitored, analyzed, and compared. Results: Compared with the experimental group of sodium valproate, 1000 mg/d levetiracetam group and 1500 mg/d levetiracetam group had a high probability of successful symptom control and a short control time. The patients had a low recurrence rate and a long recurrence time, and the probability of abnormal discharge in EEG was low. Conclusions: The recording results showed that levetiracetam could significantly inhibit the abnormal discharge of patients. Compared with sodium valproate, high-dose levetiracetam is a drug with a rapid effect, good effect, and long action time.

Ascorbate exacerbates iron toxicity on intestinal barrier function against Salmonella infection.

Ascorbic acid is often used to enhance iron absorption in nutritional interventions, but it produces pro-oxidant effects in the presence of iron. This study aimed to evaluate ascorbate's role in iron toxicity on intestinal resistance against foodborne pathogens during iron supplementation/fortification. In polarized Caco-2 cell monolayers, compared to the iron-alone treatment, the iron-ascorbate co-treatment caused more than 2-fold increase in adhesion, invasion and translocation of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. According to 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, lactate dehydrogenase release and transepithelial electrical resistance, the iron-ascorbate co-treatment resulted in reduced cell viability and increased impairment of cell membrane and paracellular permeability compared to the iron-alone treatment. Butylated hydroxytoluene protected cells against these prooxidant toxicities of ascorbate. Ascorbate completely restored iron-induced intracellular oxidant burst and depletion of cytosolic antioxidant reserve, according to dichlorodihydrofluorescein fluorescence and intracellular reduced glutathione levels. In Salmonella-infected C57BL/6 mice, iron-ascorbate co-supplementation resulted in greater loss of body weight and appetite, lower survival rate, shorter colon length, heavier intestinal microvilli damage, and more intestinal pathogen colonization and translocation than the iron-alone supplementation. Overall, ascorbate would exacerbate iron toxicity on intestinal resistance against Salmonella infection through pro-oxidant impairment of intestinal epithelial barrier from extracellular side and/or by facilitating intestinal pathogen colonization.

Microalgae aqueous extracts exert intestinal protective effects in Caco-2 cells and dextran sodium sulphate-induced mouse colitis.

Microalgae are emerging as a good source of natural nutraceuticals. Here, we examined the intestinal protective effects of microalgae aqueous extracts (MAEs) from Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Spirulina platensis, and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells and dextran sodium sulphate (DSS)-induced colitis in C57BL/6 mice. MAEs displayed intestinal barrier-protective activities in Caco-2 cells by increasing the expression of heat shock protein (Hsp)-27 and tight junction proteins of occludin and claudin-4 and attenuating the H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species production, plasma membrane impairment and apoptosis. They also showed anti-inflammatory potential in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-, interleukin (IL)-1ß- and H2O2-stimulated Caco-2 cells by suppressing the secretion of IL-8 and the expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). The 8 d daily intragastric administration of MAEs during and after 4 d DSS exposure effectively alleviated colitis symptoms of weight loss, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and colon shortening and histopathology, protected intestinal barrier function by increasing colonic Hsp-25, occludin and claudin-4, and attenuated colonic and systemic inflammation by suppressing colonic myeloperoxidase activity, production of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6, expression of COX-2 and iNOS, and peripheral leukocytosis, monocytosis and granulocytosis. Microalgae can thus serve as a functional food to maintain gut health.

Yupingfeng polysaccharides enhances growth performance in Qingyuan partridge chicken by up-regulating the mRNA expression of SGLT1, GLUT2 and GLUT5.

The ban on the use of antibiotic in feed encouraged nutritionists to using alternatives to maintain growth performance and intestinal function of broilers. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Yupingfeng polysaccharides (YP) supplementation on growth performance and expression of SGLT1, GLUT2 and GLUT5 in Qingyuan partridge chicken. Experiment 1: a total of 540 chickens were randomly allocated to five groups with six replication. Dietary treatments were: (1) CON (control group), basal diet; (2) T1, CON + 0.5 g kg-1 YP; (3) T2, CON + 1 g kg-1 YP; (4) T3, CON + 2 g kg-1 YP; (5) T4, CON + 4 g kg-1 YP. Experiment 2, a total of 162 were randomly allocated to three groups with three replication. Dietary treatments were: (1) CON, basal diet; (2) T1, CON + 0.5 g kg-1 YP; (3) T2, CON + 1 g kg-1 YP. From days 1 to 14 and overall, chicken fed T1 diet had higher ADG. On day 42, there was increased villus height of jejunum in T1 group. On days 14 and 28, there was decreased villus height of duodenum and jejunum in T2 group. In duodenum, the expression of SGLT1 (days 21, 35 and 42), GLUT2 (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42) and GLUT5 (days 7, 14, 21 and 28) was increased with YP supplementation. In jejunum, the expression of SGLT1 (days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35), GLUT2 (days 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42) and GLUT5 (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42) was increased with YP supplementation. In ileum, the expression of SGLT1 (days 7, 21, 35 and 42), GLUT2 (days 7, 14, 21 and 42) and GLUT5 (days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42) was increased with YP supplementation. Dietary YP supplementation improves growth performance and expression of SGLT1, GLUT2 and GLUT5 in intestine.

Probiotic/prebiotic correction for adverse effects of iron fortification on intestinal resistance to Salmonella infection in weaning mice.

Iron fortification has been associated with a modest increase in diarrhea risk among children. Herein, we investigate the correction for this unwanted side effect with probiotic/prebiotic supplementation in weaning mice. Iron fortification with 250 ppm and 500 ppm ferrous sulfate for 30 days significantly increased the species richness of the mouse gut microbiota compared to controls. The 500 ppm-FeSO4 diet caused a significantly decreased abundance of potentially beneficial Lactobacillus. During infection with the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), mice on the 500 ppm-FeSO4 diet showed earlier appearance of poisoning symptoms, higher rates of weight and appetite loss, and lower survival rates, all of which were effectively reversed by supplementation with a probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus) or a prebiotic (inulin) for 7 days before infection. Iron fortification with 500 ppm ferrous sulfate also increased fecal shedding and spleen and liver load of viable S. Typhimurium, suggesting its promoting effect on pathogen colonization and translocation, and this negative effect was found to be well corrected by supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus or inulin. Light and transmission electron microscopic observation on the ileal villus structure revealed the histopathological impairment of the intestine by iron fortification with both 250 ppm and 500 ppm ferrous sulfate, and the intestinal lesions were markedly alleviated by supplementation with Lactobacillus acidophilus or inulin. These results provide experimental evidence for the increased diarrhea risk upon iron fortification with high pathogen load, and demonstrate that probiotic or prebiotic supplementation can be used to eliminate the potential harm of iron fortification on gut health.

Simultaneous determination of luteolin and apigenin in dog plasma by RP-HPLC.

A specific and accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of luteolin and apigenin in the plasma of dog. The sample was treated with 6.0% perchloric acid to precipitate the protein. Luteolin and apigenin were extracted with ethyl acetate. The organic layer separated was dried and reconstituted in the mobile phase. The HPLC separation was performed on C18 column and the UV detector was set at 350 nm. The standard curve for luteolin and apigenin in plasma were linear over the range of 38.5-4350 and 16.5-1860 ng/ml, with the correlation coefficients 0.9996 and 0.9999, respectively. The assay recoveries for luteolin and apigenin ranged from 102.7 to 104.5% and 93.8-101.8%, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precisions (R.S.D.) for luteolin and apigenin were all less than 7.9%. The sample was stable within 24 h at 4 degrees C storage, 30 days at -20 degrees C storage, and undergoing four freeze-thaw-assay cycles. The limits of detection (LOD) of luteolin and apigenin were 1.82 and 1.94 ng/ml, while the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 7.84 and 6.29 ng/ml, respectively. The method developed was applied successfully to study pharmacokinetics of the effective composition (luteolin) of Chrysanthemum morifolium extract in dogs after single dose of oral administration.