Modified biochar improves the storage capacity and adsorption affinity of organic phosphorus in soil.

The loss of soil organic phosphorus can easily cause water eutrophication. In order to effectively reduce the loss of soil organic phosphorus, this manuscript investigated the adsorption of soil organic phosphorus by lanthanum modified biochar (BC), traditional adsorbent gypsum (GY) and zeolite (ZE) by taking phytic acid as the representative. The adsorption isotherm model and kinetic models were used to fit the phosphorus absorption characteristics of the adsorbents. The effects of initial pH and temperature on the adsorption capacity were discussed, and the adsorption mechanism of each adsorbent was explained by means of FTIR and XRD. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of phytate phosphorus followed the trend of BCTS > GYTS > ZETS > TS (soil), and the maximum phosphorus adsorption capacity obtained from Langmuir isotherm for treatment with BCTS was 2.836 mg g-1, and the treatment had the strongest affinity for phytate phosphorus and also the ability to store phosphorus. The adsorption process fits well with Langmuir isotherm equation and pseudo-second-order kinetic equation, and the adsorption behavior of phytate phosphorus was mainly controlled by the chemisorption of monolayer. When the concentration of phytate phosphorus was 100 mg L-1, percentage of modified biochar added to the soil was 3% and the pH was 6, the adsorption capacity reached the maximum, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 2.000 mg g-1. The results of FTIR and XRD characterization showed that complexation was the main adsorption mechanism. In this study, the combination of modified biochar and soil phytate phosphorus can provide a good theoretical basis for reducing the loss of soil organic phosphorus.

Enhanced adsorption of phosphorus in soil by lanthanum-modified biochar: improving phosphorus retention and storage capacity.

Use of soil adsorbent is an effective method for the promotion of phosphorus adsorption capacity of soil, though most of the soil adsorbents have weak phosphorus retention ability. Herein, we compared the traditional gypsum (GP) and zeolite (ZP) adsorbents to explore the phosphorus retention ability of lanthanum modified walnut shell biochar (La-BC) in soil. The results showed that with the increase of exogenous phosphorus concentration, the adsorption amount of phosphorus by adsorbents in soil increased at first and then tended to be stable. The maximum adsorption capacity of soil to phosphorus is gypsum, lanthanum-modified biochar > zeolite, and the addition of lanthanum-modified biochar can improve the adsorption capacity of soil to phosphorus, enhance the binding strength of soil and phosphorus, improve the ability of soil to store phosphorus, reducing phosphorus adsorption saturation, and is beneficial to control the leaching of soil phosphorus. FTIR and XRD analysis showed that the adsorption of phosphorus by each adsorbent in soil was mainly chemical precipitation. The response surface analysis showed that the adsorption performance of La-BC+S was the best when the concentration of exogenous phosphorus was 50.0 mg/L, pH was 6.47, and the reaction time was 436.98 min. This study provides a reference for soil adsorbents to hold phosphorus and reduce the risk of phosphorus leaching to avoid groundwater pollution.

Electroacupuncture improves memory and protects neurons by regulation of the autophagy pathway in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its clinical effects and underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Emerging evidence suggests autophagy is involved in ß-amyloid (Aß) clearance. We hypothesised that electroacupuncture (EA) treatment of AD involves the autophagy pathway in rats. METHODS: We injected 2µl Aß1-40 bilaterally into the hippocampi of 42 rats to establish AD. Rats remained untreated (AD group, n=14) or received 24 EA treatments at GV20+BL23 over 28 days from day 7 post-injection with/without co-treatment with 3-methyladenine (3-MA), an autophagy inhibitor (AD+EA+3-MA and AD+EA groups, respectively, n=14 each). Cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) testing. Hippocampi were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and stained with haematoxylin and eosin/transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) to assess neuronal morphology/apoptosis, respectively. Protein expression of Beclin-1, LC3 and Aß1-40 was examined. RESULTS: In the MWM test, the AD+EA group showed an improvement in parameters consistent with improved learning/memory compared to untreated AD rats, and 3-MA attenuated these effects. EA mitigated cellular apoptosis resulting from Aß infusion in the CA1 region and enhanced LC3II/LC3I ratios and Beclin-1 expression. Numerous autophagosome precursors and enlarged autophagosomes were observed by TEM in the hippocampi of EA-treated rats. Reduced Aß levels, and co-localisation of Aß and LC3II, were observed following EA treatment by immunofluorescence staining. EA+3-MA treated rats had much higher TUNEL-positive neurons, lower LC3II/LC3I ratios and Beclin-1 expression, and elevated Aß levels compared with EA alone. CONCLUSIONS: EA reduces neuronal apoptosis, enhances degradation of Aß, and improves learning/memory in AD rats by upregulating the autophagy pathway.

[Analysis of indications of the acupoints in the same nervous segment on back and abdomen].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the indication law of fourteen channels acupoint that is located in the same nervous segment of T1-T12 on the back and abdomen. METHODS: By retrieving indications of fourteen channels acupoint that is located in the dominating areas of T1 - T12 in LIN Zhao-geng 's New Collection of Acupuncture-moxibustion and SHEN Xue-yong's Science of meridian-collateral and acupoint, indications of fourteen channels acupoint in the same nervous segment of skin and muscle were statistically managed, respectively. RESULTS: There was an obvious nervous segmental law of acupoint in the skin and muscle. The acupoint indication of neighboring nervous segment was similar, which was closely related to corresponding internal organs. CONCLUSION: The acupoint indication is decided by the space of nervous segment which dominats their related organ. From aspect of nervous structure, this article confirms that acupoint indications focus on nervous segment to carry out the regulation effect of acupoint on internal organs function, which means it has superior regulation effect on internal organs disease that is located in the same or neighboring nervous segment of acupoint.

Effects of long-term tea polyphenols consumption on hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes and liver function in Wistar rats.

AIM: To investigate the effects of long-term tea polyphenols (TPs) consumption on hepatic microsomal drug-metabolizing enzymes and liver function in rats. METHODS: TPs were administered intragastrically to rats at the doses of 833 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) (n=20) and 83.3 mg.kg(-1).d(-1) (n=20) respectively for six months. Controlled group (n=20) was given same volume of saline solution. Then the contents of cytochrome P450, b5, enzyme activities of aminopyrine N-demethylase (ADM), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the biochemical liver function of serum were determined. RESULTS: The contents of cytochrome P450 and b5 in the livers of male rats in high dose groups (respectively 2.66 +/- 0.55, 10.43 +/- 2.78 nmol.mg MS pro(-1)) were significantly increased compared with the control group (1.08 +/- 1.04, 5.51 +/- 2.98 nmol.mg MS pro(-1); P<0.01, respectively). The enzymatic activities of ADM in the livers of female rats in high dose groups (0.91 +/- 0.08 mmol.mg MS pro(-1)min(-1)) were increased compared with the control group (0.82 +/- 0.08 mmol.mg MS pro(-1).min(-1); P<0.05). The GST activity was unchanged in all treated groups, and the function of liver was not obviously changed. CONCLUSION: The antidotal capability of rats' livers can be significantly improved after long-term consumption of TPs. There are differences in changes of drug-metabolizing enzymes between the sexes induced by TPs and normal condition.