A polylysine/hyaluronan-based core-shell nanoparticle triggers drug delivery by ATP/hyaluronidase dual stimuli for inducing apoptosis of breast cancer cells.

The limitations of self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles for cancer therapy, including instability in the bloodstream, non-specific targeting of cancer cells, and unregulated intracellular drug delivery, were effectively addressed by the development of core-shell SNX@PLL-FPBA/mHA NPs. The core was SNX@PLL-FPBA NPs prepared from polylysine conjugated 3-fluoro-4-carboxyphenylboronic acid (PLL-FPBA) self-assembly and SNX encapsulation, while the shell was methacrylate-modified hyaluronic acid (mHA) adhering to the core by electrostatic interactions and subsequently stabilized by photo-crosslinking, without the use of any organic solvent. SNX@PLL-FPBA/mHA NPs exhibited good stability in varying ionic strengths (0-0.30 M NaCl), pH levels (6.8 and 7.4), and plasma environments mimicking the blood, ensuring their efficacy in systemic circulation. The drug delivery from the nanoparticles was highly sensitive to ATP/Hyals stimuli (82 % within 48 h), closely mimicking the intracellular environment of breast cancer cells. The nanoparticles demonstrated good hemocompatibility and non-toxicity towards human skin fibroblasts. Efficient internalization of SNX@PLL-FPBA/mHA NPs by MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells was observed by CLSM and flow cytometry. The intracellular ATP/Hyals stimuli triggered the rapid drug delivery and induced cellular apoptosis. Thus, SNX@PLL-FPBA/mHA NPs were a promising drug nanocarrier for breast cancer therapy, offering improved stability, targeted delivery, and controlled drug release to enhance treatment outcomes.

Digestion and absorption characteristics of iron-chelating silver carp scale collagen peptide and insights into their chelation mechanism.

Iron deficiency is widespread throughout the world, supplementing sufficient iron or improving the bioavailability of iron is the fundamental strategy to solve the problem of iron scarcity. Herein, we explored a new form of iron supplement, iron chelates of silver carp scales (SCSCP-Fe) were prepared from collagen peptide of silver carp scales (SCSCP) and FeCl2·4H2O, the effects of external environment and simulated gastrointestinal digestive environment on the stability of SCSCP-Fe and the structural changes of peptide iron chelates during digestion were investigated. The results of in vitro iron absorption promotion showed that the iron bioavailability of SCSCP-Fe was higher than that of FeSO4. Two potential high iron chelating peptides DTSGGYDEY (DY) and LQGSNEIEIR (LR) were screened and synthesized from the SCSCP sequence by molecular dynamics and LC-MS/MS techniques. The FTIR results displayed that the binding sites of DY and LR for Fe2+ were the carboxyl group, the amino group, and the nitrogen atom on the amide group on the peptide. ITC results indicated that the chelation reactions of DY and LR with Fe2+ were mainly dominated by electrostatic interactions, forming chelates in stoichiometric ratios of 1:2 and 1:1, respectively. Both DY and LR had a certain ability to promote iron absorption. The transport of DY-Fe chelate may be a combination of the three pathways: PepT1 vector pathway, cell bypass, and endocytosis, while LR-Fe chelate was dominated by bivalent metal ion transporters. This study is expected to provide theoretical reference and technical support for the high-value utilization of silver carp scales and the development of novel iron supplements.

Preparation, characterization, and coating effect of bio-active nano-emulsion based on combined plant essential oils on quality of grass carp fillets.

This study aimed to develop a satisfactory essential oil (EO) nano-emulsion through high pressure microjet technology and explore its physiochemical properties and synergistic coating effects on grass carp fillets. The optimal conditions for oregano/litsea cubeba (6:4, wt%/wt%) nano-emulsion were shown to be 80 s high pressure microjet pretreatment time, 9000 lb per square inch pretreatment pressure, 6 % oil phase, and 3:2 Km (mass ratio of surfactant to co-surfactant). The obtained nano-emulsion exhibited 100.42 ± 0.96 nm oil diameter at 4 °C after 15-day storage, coupled with high stability after centrifugation, freeze-thaw and heating treatment. Compared with untreated samples at day 6 storage, the nano-emulsion-treated grass carp fillets exhibited improved textural properties, higher water-holding capacity (74.23 % ± 0.80 %), lower total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N, 13.46 ± 0.30 mg/100g)/thiobaric acid (TBA,0.43 ± 0.02 mgMDA/100g), and lower total viable spoilage bacteria count (4.98 ± 0.21 lgCFU/g). This study facilitates understanding the combined EOs nano-emulsion on improving the shelf life of grass carp fillets.

Sub-nanopores enabling optimized ion storage performance of carbon cathodes for Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors.

Aqueous Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSs) are attracting significant attention as a promising electrochemical energy storage system. However, carbon cathodes of ZHSs exhibit unsatisfactory ion storage performance due to the large size of hydrated Zn-ions (e.g., [Zn(H2O)6]2+), which encumbers compact ion arrangement and rapid ion transport at the carbon-electrolyte interfaces. Herein, a porous carbon material (HMFC) with abundant sub-nanopores is synthesized to optimize the ion storage performance of the carbon cathode in ZHSs, in which the sub-nanopores effectively promote the dehydration of hydrated Zn-ions and thus optimize the ion storage performance of the carbon cathode in ZHSs. A novel strategy is proposed to study the dehydration behaviors of hydrated Zn-ions in carbon cathodes, including quantitatively determining the desolvation activation energy of hydrated Zn-ions and in-situ monitoring active water content at the carbon-electrolyte interface. The sub-nanopores-induced desolvation effect is verified, and its coupling with large specific surface area and hierarchically porous structure endows the HMFC cathode with improved electrochemical performance, including a 53 % capacity increase compared to the carbon cathode counterpart without sub-nanopores, fast charge/discharge ability that can output 46.0 Wh/kg energy within only 4.4 s, and 98.2 % capacity retention over 20,000 charge/discharge cycles. This work provides new insights into the rational design of porous carbon cathode materials toward high-performance ZHSs.

Synthesis and application of gelatin-based controlled-release antibacterial films containing oregano essential oil/ß-cyclodextrin microcapsules for chilling preservation of grass carp fillets.

This work aimed to synthesize oregano essential oil/ß-cyclodextrin microcapsules (OEO/ß-CDs) and then prepare gelatin-based controlled-release antibacterial films with different OEO/ß-CDs contents (0%-2%) for chilling preservation of grass carp fillets. The results of FTIR, XRD, DSC and accelerated release ratio showed that OEO was successfully encapsulated in OEO/ß-CDs and its thermal stability was effectively improved. Moreover, at 2% of addition amount of OEO/ß-CDs, the tensile strength of the films increased from 14.43 MPa to 18.72 MPa. In addition, the films showed significant antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas (61.52%), Aeromonas (62.87%), and Shewanella putrefaciens (66.67%). Preservation experiments showed that the films effectively prevented the increase of TVB-N, and TBA value of the refrigerated fillets and significantly suppressed the growth of spoilage organisms, thus extending the shelf life by 2-3 days. Therefore, the synthesized film has promising potential as an active packaging material for the preservation of grass carp.

Study by means of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance of the oxidation process in high oleic sunflower oil and palm oil during deep-frying of fish cakes.

This study aimed to compare the frying performance of palm oil (PO) and high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) during frying aquatic products. The quality change and frying performance of HOSO and PO during frying of fish cakes were investigated. The oxidation and hydrolysis products of both oils were explored by the nuclear magnetic resonance technique. The results showed that the color deepening rate of PO was higher than that of HOSO. After 18 h of frying, the total polar compound content of PO and HOSO reached 25.67% and 27.50%, respectively. HOSO had lower degree of oxidation than PO after 24 h of continuous frying. The polyunsaturated fatty acid content in HOSO and PO significantly decreased. The oleic acid content in HOSO remained above 80% during the frying process. The major aldehydes in both oils were (E, E)-2,4-alkadienals and n-alkanals and glycerol diesters (DAGs) were abundant in PO. Furthermore, the addition of fish cakes had slight effect on the quality of the frying oil. Therefore, HOSO is an appropriate candidate for frying owing to its excellent frying stability and nutritional value.

Development and Identification of Novel α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Peptides from Mulberry Leaves.

The mulberry leaf is a botanical resource that possesses a substantial quantity of protein. In this study, alcalase hydrolysis conditions of mulberry leaf protein were optimized using the response surface method. The results showed that the optimum conditions were as follows: substrate protein concentration was 0.5% (w/v), enzymatic hydrolysis temperature was 53.0 °C, enzymatic hydrolysis time was 4.7 h, enzyme amount was 17,800 U/g, and pH was 10.5. Then mulberry leaf peptides were separated by ultrafiltration according to molecular weight. Peptides (<3 kDa) were screened and subsequently identified using LC-MS/MS after the evaluation of α-glucosidase inhibition across various fractions. Three novel potential bioactive peptides RWPFFAFM (1101.32 Da), AAGRLPGY (803.91 Da), and VVRDFHNA (957.04 Da) with the lowest average docking energy were screened for molecular dynamics simulation to examine their binding stability with enzymes in a 37 °C simulated human environment. Finally, they were prepared by solid phase synthesis for in vitro verification. The former two peptides exhibited better IC50 values (1.299 mM and 1.319 mM, respectively). These results suggest that the α-glucosidase inhibitory peptides from mulberry leaf protein are potential functional foods or drugs for diabetes treatment, but further in vivo studies are needed to identify the bioavailability and toxicity.

Formation of AGEs in Penaeus vannamei fried with high oleic acid sunflower oil.

Here, we investigated the effects of frying process on the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in shrimps using Penaeus vannamei as the raw material. The results showed that the oil, malondialdehyde, fluorescent AGEs, carboxymethyl lysine (CML), methylglyoxal hydroimidazolone (MG-H1) and the outer layer carboxyethyl lysine (CEL) content was higher in the fried shrimps than that in the raw unfried shrimps. The outer layer CML, CEL and inner CEL, MG-H1 values all reached the maximum after the first batch of frying (22.43 mg/kg, 304.24 mg/kg, 83.76 mg/kg, and 169.42 mg/kg respectively). However, fluorescent AGEs and MG-H1 of the outer layer reached the maximum after the fifth and fourth batches of frying (1230.0 AU/g and 341.63 mg/kg). Malondialdehyde, fluorescent AGEs, CML, MG-H1, and CEL concentration in the fried shrimps firstly increased and then decreased to stabilization with more frying batches, with higher content in the outer layer of fried shrimps.

Superhydrophilic Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Hydrogel with Nanosilica Covalent Coating: A Promising Contact Lens Material for Resisting Tear Protein Deposition and Bacterial Adhesion.

Tear protein deposition and bacterial adhesion are the main drawbacks of the hydrogel contact lens. In this study, we developed a novel superhydrophilic poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (NSCC-pHEMA) hydrogel with nanosilica covalent coating by the combination of colloidal silica immersion and dehydration treatment. The infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses confirmed the successful formation of Si-O covalent bonding between nanosilica and pHEMA hydrogel. This coating was highly stable against powerful sonication or long-term shaking immersion treatment. Among various NSCC-pHEMA hydrogels with different colloidal silica concentrations, the 7%NSCC-pHEMA hydrogel generated a superhydrophilic micro wrinkle surface with a root-mean-square roughness of 43.10 nm, which dramatically reduced the deposition of lysozyme and bovine serum albumin by 65% and 57%, respectively, and decreased the adhesion of S. aureus and E. coli by 59% and 66%, respectively, in comparison to the pHEMA hydrogel. However, the nanosilica coating had little effect on the mechanical properties, light transmittance, oxygen permeability, and equilibrium water content of the pHEMA hydrogel. NSCC-pHEMA hydrogels were nontoxic to both mouse fibroblasts (L929) and human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT). Thus, the superhydrophilic NSCC-pHEMA hydrogel is a potential contact lens material for resisting tear protein deposition and bacterial adhesion.

A calcium hydroxide/oleic acid/phospholipid nanoparticle induced cancer cell apoptosis by the combination of intracellular calcium overload and lactic acidosis elimination.

Intracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) influence the proliferation-apoptosis balance, and lactic acidosis is an innate feature of a malignant tumor. In this study, a calcium hydroxide/oleic acid/phospholipid nanoparticle [CUR-Ca(OH)2-OA/PL NP] with lipase/pH dual responsive delivery of Ca2+ and curcumin (CUR) was developed for inducing cancer cell apoptosis by a combination of intracellular calcium overload and lactic acidosis elimination. The nanoparticle showed a core-shell structure with some good performance, including an adequate nano-size, negative charge, good blood circulation stability, and non-hemolysis. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells exhibited a higher lipase activity than A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and L929 mouse fibroblasts by fluorescence analysis. CUR-Ca(OH)2-OA/PL NPs were highly internalized by MDA-MB-231 cells, intracellularly released CUR and Ca2+, triggered the activation of caspase 3 and caspase 9, and caused apoptosis by intracellular calcium overload via a mitochondrial-mediated pathway. Lactic acid of 20 mM inhibited the apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells depending on the glucose insufficiency level, but this inhibition could be eliminated by CUR-Ca(OH)2-OA/PL NPs, leading to nearly complete apoptosis. Herein, CUR-Ca(OH)2-OA/PL NPs are a potential killer of cancer cells with high lipase activity by a combination of intracellular calcium overload and lactic acidosis elimination.

Changes in the Quality of High-Oleic Sunflower Oil during the Frying of Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

Shrimp fried in vegetable oil is a very popular food, so it is important to study the changes in the quality of the oil during frying. In order to more precisely study the nature of frying oil during the cooking process, this study investigated the quality changes of high-oleic sunflower oil during the frying of South American white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The oxidation and hydrolysis products of frying oils were investigated by integrating the proton nuclear magnetic resonance technique with traditional oil evaluation indexes in an integrated manner. The results showed that the color difference as measured using the ΔE* value increased gradually during the process. Moreover, the acid value, carbonyl value, and total oxidation significantly increased with prolonged frying time. The major oxidation products formed during frying were (E,E)-2-alkenals, (E,E)-2,4-alkadienals, and E,E-conjugated hydroperoxides. This indicated that longer treatment times corresponded with an increased accumulation of aldehydes and ketones, and an increased degree of oxidative deterioration of the oil. However, the proportion of oleic acid in the frying oil increased with the frying of shrimp, reaching 80.05% after 24 h. These results contribute to our understanding of the oxidative deterioration of high-oleic oils during frying, and provide an important reference for the application properties of high-oleic oils.

Monitoring the oxidation process of soybean oil during deep-frying of fish cakes with 1H nuclear magnetic resonance.

The oxidation process of soybean oil (SBO) during frying fish cakes was investigated. The TOTOX value of before frying (BF) and after frying (AF) was significantly higher than control (CK). However, the total polar compound (TPC) content of AF reached 27.67% in frying oil continuously frying at 180℃ for 18 h, and 26.17% for CK. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) loss in isooctane and methanol significantly decreased with the extension of frying time and then tended to be stable. The decrease of DPPH loss was related to the increase of TPC content. Antioxidant and prooxidant balance (APB) value below 0.5 was obtained after 12 h for heated oil. (E)-2-alkenals, (E, E)-2,4-alkadienals, and n-alkanals were dominant ingredients among the secondary oxidation products. Traces of monoglycerides (MAG) and diglycerides (DAG) were also detected. These results may improve our understanding of the oxidation deterioration in SBO during frying.

Effect of Pretreatment Methods on the Formation of Advanced Glycation End Products in Fried Shrimp.

Fried shrimp are popular for their attractive organoleptic and nutritional qualities. However, consumers are more concerned about the safety of fried foods. To investigate the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in fried shrimp and provide pretreatment guidance for producing low-AGEs fried pacific white shrimp were treated with seven pretreatment methods before frying. The AGEs contents, physicochemical indicators, and their correlations in the fried shrimps' interior, surface, and batter layer were analyzed. Results indicated that pretreatment methods influenced both Maillard and oxidation reactions by altering the basic compositions, which controlled the formation of AGEs. The highest and lowest AGEs contents were obtained in shelled shrimp with exscinded back and whole shrimp, respectively. The batter-coated treatment reduced the AGEs contents in samples but increased the oil content. Correlation analysis showed that lipid oxidation was the decisive chemical reaction to the formation of AGEs by promoting the generation of dicarbonyl compounds and their combination with free amino acids. Conclusively, the whole shrimp was suitable for producing fried shrimp with low AGEs, oil content, and desirable color.

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-quaternary ammonium salt chitosan) hydrogel: A potential contact lens material with tear protein deposition resistance and antimicrobial activity.

Tear protein deposition resistance and antimicrobial property are two challenges of conventional poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) contact lenses. In this work, we developed a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-quaternary ammonium salt chitosan) hydrogel, named as p(HEMA-co-mHACC) hydrogel, using acryloyl HACC (mHACC) as a macromolecular crosslinker. With increasing the acryloyl substitution degree (14-29%) or mHACC content (2-11%), the hydrogel showed an enhanced tensile strength (432-986 kPa) and Young's modulus (360-1158 kPa), a decreased elongation at break (242-84%), and an increased visible light transmittance (0-95%). At an optimal acryloyl substitution degree of 26%, with the increase of mHACC content from 2% to 11%, p(HEMA-co-mHACC) hydrogel presented a decreased water contact angle from 84.6 to 55.3 degree, an increased equilibrium water content from 38% to 45%, and an enhanced oxygen permeability from 8.5 to 13.5 barrer. Due to the enhancement in surface hydrophilicity and electropositivity, p(HEMA-co-mHACC) hydrogel remarkably reduced the deposition of lysozyme, but little affected the adsorption of BSA, depending on the hydrophilic/hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. The antimicrobial test against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli showed that p(HEMA-co-mHACC) hydrogel presented an 8-32 times higher germicidal ability than pHEMA hydrogel, indicative of a better antimicrobial activity. The in vitro cell culture of mouse NIH3T3 fibroblasts and immortalized human keratinocytes showed that p(HEMA-co-mHACC) hydrogel was non-toxic. Thus, p(HEMA-co-mHACC) hydrogel with tear protein deposition resistance and antimicrobial activity is a potential candidate for contact lenses.

'Multiple and short-range' cross-linking of dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose contributes to regulating the physicochemical property of collagen fibril.

Collagen fibril hydrogel (CH), with controllable micro-structure, sufficient modifying sites and excellent biocompatibility, has received widely attention in the regulation of biomacromolecules. Herein, dialdehyde carboxymethyl cellulose (DCMC) in different -CHO contents and molecular weights demonstrated two types of cross-linking behaviors to CH, 'limited and long-range' or 'multiple and short range' cross-linking, corresponding to -CHO content ranged from 0 to 53 % and 53 to 90 %, respectively. In regard of structure, non-destroying effect of DCMC on collagen was supported by FT-IR and XRD analysis. CH cross-linked by DCMC (CH-DC) showed declining porosity and aggregating fibrils as -CHO content of DCMC rising. In regard of physicochemical properties, DCMC with >53 % -CHO strengthened the hydrophilicity, thermal stability and degradation resistance of CH-DC. Also, there was 110 % growth on gel strength, 86 Pa enhancements on storage modulus, and 4.6 times decrease on the swelling ratio of CH-DC. Results indicated that DCMC with 79 % -CHO remarkably improved the physicochemical properties of CH via developing sufficient Schiff-base bonds with collagen fibril in a short distance. This study distinguished two patterns of DCMC cross-linking from physicochemical view. In other words, DCMC is potential to meet the requirement of protein-based materials with different expectations by adjusting its -CHO content and molecular weight.

Effects of Konjac Glucomannan on Oil Absorption and Safety Hazard Factor Formation of Fried Battered Fish Nuggets.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of konjac glucomannan (KGM) on oil absorption and the formation of safety hazard factors in fried battered fish nuggets by measuring advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and acrylamide contents. Other physicochemical properties were determined to explore the reason for oil absorption and formation of safety hazard factors. The acrylamide was found mainly in the crust. The addition of 0.8% KGM could significantly reduce the acrylamide content (p < 0.05). For the battered sample, the AGEs content was far lower than the unbattered. The addition of 0.8% KGM could significantly reduce the AGEs content in the inner layer (p < 0.05). The microstructure showed that the sample with 0.8% KGM had the most compact crust. The compact crust reduced oil and malondialdehyde contents. Combined with the other indicators, the inhibitory effect of 0.8% KGM on acrylamide was closely related with the decreased extent of oil oxidation and Maillard reaction in the samples with 0.8% KGM. The inhibitory effect of 0.8% KGM on AGEs might originate from its lower oil content.

Formation of AGEs in fish cakes during air frying and other traditional heating methods.

This study investigated the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in fish cakes under air frying, deep frying, pan frying and baking. The results showed that the AGEs contents on the surface of fish cakes significantly increased with prolonging heating time. The AGEs contents under different methods were following: deep frying > air frying ≈ pan frying > baking. However, the AGEs contents in the interior of fish cakes were hardly influenced by the methods and time. The correlation analysis showed that the AGEs contents were negatively correlated with the moisture content, positively correlated with the yellowness (b*) value, oil content and oxidation products. Additionally, the air-fried fish cake exhibited a denser texture compared to the others, and its colour was similar to the deep-fried ones. Conclusively, the air-fried fish cake showed low oil and AGEs contents, and similar colour to the deep-fried fish cake.

Study of the formation of food hazard factors in fried fish nuggets.

Fried fish nuggets were prepared from grass carp. The effects of frying time (180℃, 4-6 min) and pretreatment on the formation of food hazard factors in fried fish nuggets were investigated. Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs), acrylamide (AA), 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF), benzo (a) pyrene (BaP) and trans fatty acids (TFAs) mainly presented on the surface of fried samples, but only few AGEs were detected in the interior. The extension of frying time promoted lipid oxidation and the formation of food hazard factors. At the same frying time, the contents of AA, 5-HMF, TFAs and fluorescent AGEs in flour-coated fish nuggets were higher than those in direct fried fish nuggets, while the contents of Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) and BaP were lower. Overall, CML and BaP were the main food hazard factors of the direct fried samples, AA was the main food hazard factor of the flour-coated fried samples.

Stable Zinc Anodes Enabled by Zincophilic Cu Nanowire Networks.

Zn-based electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems have received tremendous attention in recent years, but their zinc anodes are seriously plagued by the issues of zinc dendrite and side reactions (e.g., corrosion and hydrogen evolution). Herein, we report a novel strategy of employing zincophilic Cu nanowire networks to stabilize zinc anodes from multiple aspects. According to experimental results, COMSOL simulation and density functional theory calculations, the Cu nanowire networks covering on zinc anode surface not only homogenize the surface electric field and Zn2+ concentration field, but also inhibit side reactions through their hydrophobic feature. Meanwhile, facets and edge sites of the Cu nanowires, especially the latter ones, are revealed to be highly zincophilic to induce uniform zinc nucleation/deposition. Consequently, the Cu nanowire networks-protected zinc anodes exhibit an ultralong cycle life of over 2800 h and also can continuously operate for hundreds of hours even at very large charge/discharge currents and areal capacities (e.g., 10 mA cm-2 and 5 mAh cm-2), remarkably superior to bare zinc anodes and most of currently reported zinc anodes, thereby enabling Zn-based EES devices to possess high capacity, 16,000-cycle lifespan and rapid charge/discharge ability. This work provides new thoughts to realize long-life and high-rate zinc anodes.

Towards High-Energy and Anti-Self-Discharge Zn-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors with New Understanding of the Electrochemistry.

Aqueous Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSs) are increasingly being studied as a novel electrochemical energy storage system with prominent electrochemical performance, high safety and low cost. Herein, high-energy and anti-self-discharge ZHSs are realized based on the fibrous carbon cathodes with hierarchically porous surface and O/N heteroatom functional groups. Hierarchically porous surface of the fabricated free-standing fibrous carbon cathodes not only provides abundant active sites for divalent ion storage, but also optimizes ion transport kinetics. Consequently, the cathodes show a high gravimetric capacity of 156 mAh g-1, superior rate capability (79 mAh g-1 with a very short charge/discharge time of 14 s) and exceptional cycling stability. Meanwhile, hierarchical pore structure and suitable surface functional groups of the cathodes endow ZHSs with a high energy density of 127 Wh kg-1, a high power density of 15.3 kW kg-1 and good anti-self-discharge performance. Mechanism investigation reveals that ZHS electrochemistry involves cation adsorption/desorption and Zn4SO4(OH)6·5H2O formation/dissolution at low voltage and anion adsorption/desorption at high voltage on carbon cathodes. The roles of these reactions in energy storage of ZHSs are elucidated. This work not only paves a way for high-performance cathode materials of ZHSs, but also provides a deeper understanding of ZHS electrochemistry.