Comparative study of solid-state fermentation with different microbial strains on the bioactive compounds and microstructure of brown rice.

The effects of solid-state fermentation (SSF) with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhizopus oryzae, Aspergillus oryzae, and Neurospora sitophila were determined on the bioactive compound content and grain microstructure of brown rice (BR). After SSF, the ß-glucan, arabinoxylans, γ-oryzanol, thiamine, riboflavin, phenolic, and flavonoid contents increased by 147, 11.2, 30.5, 16.9, 21.1, 76%, and 49.6%, respectively, indicating a marked increase in bioactive compound content. In addition, the water-soluble dietary fiber and arabinoxylan contents, and free phenolic and flavonoid contents significantly increased (p < 0.05). These changes were consistent with the microstructural changes observed after SSF, i.e., the outer cortex was rough, cracked, porous and separated from the starch endosperm, which was also cracked and porous; this should increase the dietary bioavailability of the bioactive compounds. SSF, especially with A. oryzae and Lb. plantarum, greatly enhanced the bioactive compound content in BR and has great potential in BR processing.

Nutrition and Sensory Evaluation of Solid-State Fermented Brown Rice Based on Cluster and Principal Component Analysis.

Consumption of brown rice (BR) contributes to the implementation of the grain-saving policy and improvement of residents' nutrient status. However, the undesirable cooking properties, poor palatability, and presence of anti-nutritional factors limit the demand of BR products. To enhance its quality, BR was solid-state fermented with single and mixed strains of Lb. plantarum, S. cerevisiae, R. oryzae, A. oryzae, and N. sitophila. Effects of solid-state fermentation (SSF) with different strains on the nutrition and sensory characteristics of BR were analyzed by spectroscopic method, chromatography, and sensory assessment. Contents of arabinoxylans, ß-glucan, γ-oryzanol, phenolic, and flavonoid were significantly increased by 41.61%, 136.02%, 30.51%, 106.90%, and 65.08% after SSF, respectively (p < 0.05), while the insoluble dietary fiber and phytic acid contents reduced by 42.69% and 55.92%. The brightness and sensory score of BR significantly improved after SSF. Furthermore, cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to evaluate BR quality. Three clusters were obtained according to CA, including BR fermented for 30 h and 48 h, BR fermented for 12 h, and the control group. Based on PCA, the best SSF processing technology was BR fermented with Lb. plantarum (0.5%, v/w) and S. cerevisiae (0.5%, v/w) at 28 °C for 48 h (liquid-to-solid ratio 3:10).

Associations between coagulation factor XII, coagulation factor XI, and stability of venous thromboembolism: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a fatal clinical syndrome that is generally caused by an embolus from unstable deep venous thrombosis (DVT). However, clinical and biochemical factors that are related to the stability of DVT are not fully understood. AIM: To evaluate the relationships between plasma antigen levels of factor XII (FXII:Ag) and factor XI (FXI:Ag) with the stability of DVT. METHODS: Patients with DVT and no PE, DVT and PE, and controls with no DVT or PE that matched for age, gender, and comorbidities were included in this study. FXII:Ag and FXI:Ag in peripheral venous blood were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Using the 95th percentile of FXI:Ag in patients with DVT and PE as the cut-off, a higher FXI:Ag was associated with a higher risk of unstable DVT (odds ratio: 3.15, 95% confidence interval: 1.18-8.43, P = 0.019). Stratified analyses showed consistent results in patients ≤ 60 years (P = 0.020), but not in those > 60 years (P = 0.346). CONCLUSION: Higher plasma FXI:Ag might be a marker for unstable DVT, which might be associated with PE in these patients.

The Association between Air Pollution and Population Health Risk for Respiratory Infection: A Case Study of Shenzhen, China.

Nowadays, most of the research on air pollution and its adverse effects on public health in China has focused on megacities and heavily-polluted regions. Fewer studies have focused on cities that are slightly polluted. Shenzhen used to have a favorable air environment, but its air quality has deteriorated gradually as a result of development in recent years. So far, no systematic investigations have been conducted on the adverse effects of air pollution on public health in Shenzhen. This research has applied a time series analysis model to study the possible association between different types of air pollution and respiratory hospital admission in Shenzhen in 2013. Respiratory hospital admission was divided into two categories for comparison analysis among various population groups: acute upper respiratory infection and acute lower respiratory infection. The results showed that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution was significantly associated with acute respiratory infection hospital admission in Shenzhen in 2013. Children under 14 years old were the main susceptible population of acute respiratory infection due to air pollution. PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 were the primary air pollutants threatening respiratory health in Shenzhen. Though air pollution level is generally relatively low in Shenzhen, it will benefit public health to control the pollution of particulate matter as well as other gaseous pollutants.