The anti-diabetic activity of polyphenols-rich vinegar extract in mice via regulating gut microbiota and liver inflammation.

Polyphenols in vinegar are benefit to human health. The purpose of this research was to identify the polyphenols-rich vinegar extract (VE) and evaluate the anti-diabetic mechanisms in vivo. The results showed that 29 polyphenols were identified by UPLC-Q/Trap-MS/MS analysis. 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, and ethyl ferulate were the main polyphenols. In addition, VE relieved the symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by down-regulating blood glucose and lipemia. VE reduced inflammation by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, VE treatment restored gut microbiota dysbiosis (upregulating Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacteroides and downregulating Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Enterorhabdus abundances), and increased short chain fatty acids contents in diabetic mice, which participated in anti-diabetic effect of VE by correlation analysis. These findings suggest that VE may be a candidate for T2DM intervention by regulating gut microbiota and inflammation.

Formation mechanisms and characterisation of the typical polymers in melanoidins from vinegar, coffee and model experiments.

Melanoidins, are of increasing interest for their potential biological activities. However, little knowledge is available on their structure. In the present study, vinegar, coffee and model melanoidins were degraded by NaBH4, and the resultant reaction products were characterised by chromatography, mass spectrometry and spectrometry methods to elucidate the mechanism of formation of melanoidin skeleton molecules. The study identified a typical polymer with a molecular weight (MW) interval of 74 Da, which was polymerised by aldol condensation and reduced by NaBH4, followed by intermolecular dehydration. MW of the theoretically derived typical polymers matched the detected polymers, validating the speculated pathway involved in the formation of melanoidins skeleton molecules. The study also revealed that melanoidins from different sources contain polymers with the same MW and different binding preferences, contributing to the heterogeneity of melanoidins. Overall, these findings indicated that the identified polymers could be used as potential candidate biomarkers for melanoidins.

Polyphenol-rich vinegar extract regulates intestinal microbiota and immunity and prevents alcohol-induced inflammation in mice.

Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar (ZAV), a traditional fermented food in China, is rich in polyphenols with health-beneficial effects. In this study, vinegar extract ameliorated ethanol-induced liver injury by reducing the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. In addition, vinegar extract regulated gut microbiota composition and immune factors, and improved antimicrobial peptides (Reg3b and Reg3g) and intestinal homeostasis in ethanol-treated mice. Vinegar extract suppressed lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammatory response in the liver and gut of ethanol-treated mice. Moreover, Akkermansia, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Bacteroidetes showed a positive correlation with intestinal immune factors and antimicrobial peptides, and a negative correlation with parameters of oxidative stress and inflammation. In contrast, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bilophila and Butyricimonas showed the opposite correlation with these parameters. Our study provides a new sight into vinegar extract for the prevention of ethanol-induced liver damage via modulation of gut-liver axis.

An experimental study on the effects of curcumin on posterior capsule opacification in young rabbit eyes.

BACKGROUND: Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) compromises vision development in infants after cataract surgery and lead to amblyopia. To observe the effects of curcumin on PCO in infant rabbits, curcumin was injected under the capaule and into the anterior chamber during phacoemulsification. METHODS: Seventy-five 1-month-old healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomized into 3 groups, one eye of each rabbit was randomly selected to be operated. The operation involved continuous circular capsulorhexis, followed by hydrodissection with 0.6 ml each of balanced salt solution (BSS, group A), hydroxypropyl-ß-dodextrin (HP-ß-CD, 90 µg/ml, group B) or CUR-HP-ß-CD (123 µg/ml, group C), respectively. After phacoemulsification, 0.4 ml of each drug solution was injected into the anterior chamber via an incision. The extent of corneal edema and the inflammatory response within the anterior chamber were considered as measures PCO and observed postoperatively. All eyes were examined 1 and 2 months postoperative by slit lamp microscopy and photography after pupil dilation. On the third day postoperative, 6 rabbits from each group were executed. Paraffin-embedded sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling assay (TUNEL, indicative of apoptosis). Stained sections were observed under light microscopy. Proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs) was observed microscopically on day 3, day 7, month 1 and month 2 after the operation with HE staining. RESULTS: The remission of cornea edema occurred earlier in group C than in groups A and B (P < 0.05); there were no significant differences between groups A and B. The remission of anterior chamber exudation in group C was earlier than those in groups A and B (P < 0.05). No significant difference in the times when PCO occurred, was observed among groups. Compared to groups A and B, the extent of PCO was less severe (P < 0.05). Three days after the operation, LECs aggregated at the orbit. Meanwhile, minor apoptosis was observed in all groups. One month after the operation transparent, cortex and proliferating LECs were observed near the orbit in groups A and B. Two months postoperative, heavy cortex proliferation was observed in all groups: epithelial cells migrated and aggregated at the posterior capsule and rearranged under the anterior capsule in the control group. Proliferation was also observed in group C, but to a less severe extent than in the other two groups. CONCLUSION: CUR-HP-ß-CD exerts an inhibitory effect on PCO.

[Quality standard for Xindi soft capsule].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the quality control standard of Xindi soft capsule. METHOD: Quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin were isolated by TLC with chloroform-ethyl formate-formic acid (5:4:1). The chromatographic separation was performed on a Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm). Acetonitrile-water-phosphoric (30:70:0.1) as mobile phase. The flow rate was 1 mL x min(-1) and column temperature was set at 40 degrees C. The UV detection wavelength was set at 254 nm. RESULT: Quercetin, Kaempferol and Isorhamnetin could be identified by TLC. Quercetin showed a good linear relationship at a range of 0.412-1.648 microg, r = 0.999 9, the average recovery was 96.8%, and RSD was 0.9% (n = 6). Kaempferol showed a good linear relationship at a range of 0.021-0.083 microg, r = 0.999 8, the average recovery was 96.9%, and RSD was 2.0% (n = 6). Isorhamnetin showed a good linear relationship at a range of 0.183-0.732 microg, r = 0.999 9, the average recovery was 97.1%, and RSD was 1.6% (n = 6). CONCLUSION: The method is accurate with the good reproducibility and can be used for the quality control of Xindi soft capsule.

Plant tissue-based chemiluminescence flow biosensor for determination of unbound dopamine in rabbit blood with on-line microdialysis sampling.

A novel plant tissue-based chemiluminescence (CL) biosensor for dopamine combined with flow injection analysis is presented in this paper. The potato roots act as molecular recognition elements. Dopamine is oxidized by oxygen under the catalysis of polyphenol oxidase in the tissue column to produce hydrogen peroxide, which can react with luminol in the presence of peroxidase of potato tissue to generate CL signal. The CL emission intensity was linear with dopamine concentration in the range of 1x10(-5)-1x10(-7) g/ml and the detection limit was 5.3x10(-8) g/ml (3sigma) with a relative standard deviation of 1.7%. Combined with microdialysis sampling, the biosensor was applied to monitor the variation of dopamine level in the blood of rabbit after the administration of dopamine to demonstrate the favorable resolution and reliability of the system for in vivo on-line monitoring.