Quantitative detection of microcystin-LR in Bellamya aeruginosa by thin-layer chromatography coupled with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on in-situ ZIF-67/Ag NPs/Au NWs composite substrate.

As a hypertoxic natural toxin, the risk of Microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) residues in Bellamya aeruginosa deserves more attention. Herein, employing the conventional thin-layer chromatography (TLC) technology and a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, a TLC-SERS chip was fabricated for the purification and quantitative detection of MC-LR in complex samples. The substrate exhibited excellent SERS performance with an enhancement factor of 6.6 × 107, a low detection limit of 2.27 × 10-9 mM for MC-LR, excellent uniformity and reproducibility, as well as a wide linear range. With the application of TLC, the MC-LR was efficiently purified and the concentration was increased to >3 times. Ultimately, recovery rates fluctuated between 93.28% and 101.66% were obtained from the TLC-SERS chip. On balance, the TLC-SERS chip has a robust capacity for achieving rapid and stable quantitative detection of MC-LR, which promises to improve the efficiency of food safety monitoring.

Safety and Efficacy Analysis of Radical Surgery for 403 Patients with Colon Cancer over 80 Years Old.

Aim: To investigate the safety and efficacy of radical surgery in colon cancer patients over 80 years old. Methods: Data from colon cancer patients aged ≥80 years who underwent radical surgery at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and affiliated Heji Hospital of Changzhi Medical College from January 2011 to December 2022 were retrospectively analysed. Data on clinical characteristics, pathological features, perioperative data, and long-term prognosis were collected. Severe complications were classified as grade III-V. Logistic regression models were used to identify the risk factors for severe postoperative complications, and a Cox regression model was used to determine prognostic variables. Results: A total of 403 eligible patients were included in the study. A total of 118 (29.3%) patients developed postoperative complications, of which 51 (12.7%) experienced grade 3-5 severe complications. Two (0.5%) patients died of pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction during the perioperative period. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative albumin levels <35 g/L and right colon cancer were independent risk factors for grade 3-5 postoperative complications. In terms of prognosis, multivariate analysis revealed that overall survival was significantly affected by TNM stage III and grade 3-4 postoperative complications. In addition, TNM stage III and perineural invasion were the independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival. Conclusion: Radical surgery can be performed safely in elderly colon cancer patients aged over 80 years, with an acceptable morbidity and mortality. Patients with preoperative albumin levels <35 g/L or tumors in the right colon should be alerted to the development of severe postoperative complications. In addition, the occurrence of severe complications can significantly affect the prognosis of elderly colon cancer patients.

Mechanism of miR-98-5p in gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the USP44/CTCFL axis.

Objectives: Gastric cancer (GC) is the leading digestive malignancy with high incidence and mortality rate. microRNAs (miRs) play an important role in GC progresssion. This study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-98-5p on proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Methods: The expression levels of miR-98-5p, ubiquitin specific peptidase 44 (USP44), and CCCTCbinding factor-like (CTCFL) in GC tissues and cells were identified using reversetranscription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assay. The relationship between miR-98-5p expression/USP44 and the clinicopathological features in GC patients was analyzed. GC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 and clone formation assays and Transwell assays. The bindings of miR-98-5p to USP44 and USP44 to CTCFL were examined using dualluciferase assay and co-immunoprecipitation. GC cells were treated with MG132 and the ubiquitination level of CTCFL was examined using ubiquitination assay. Rescue experiments were performed to verify the roles of USP44 and CTCFL in GC cells. Results: miR-98-5p was downregulated in GC. miR-98-5p overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. miR-98-5p inhibited USP44 expression. USP44 bound to CTCFL and limited ubiquitination degradation of CTCFL. Overexpression of USP44 and CTCFL attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-98-5p overexpression on GC cell progression. Conclusion: miR-98-5p overexpression limited USP44-mediated CTCFL deubiquitination, and suppressed CTCFL expression, mitigating GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Structural and compositional analysis of MOF-derived carbon nanomaterials for the oxygen reduction reaction.

The development of low-cost and efficient cathode catalysts is crucial for the advancement of fuel cells, as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the cathode is constrained by expensive commercial Pt/C catalysts and a significant energy barrier. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered excellent precursors for synthesizing carbon nanomaterials due to their simple synthesis, rich structure and composition. MOF-derived carbon nanomaterials (MDCNM) inherit the morphology of their precursors at low dimensional scales, providing abundant edge defects, larger specific surface area, and excellent electron transport paths. Furthermore, the rich composition of MOFs enables the carbon nanomaterials derived from them to exhibit various physicochemical properties, including stronger electron gaining ability, oxygen affinity, and a higher degree of graphitization, resulting in excellent ORR activity. However, a more detailed analysis is necessary to understand the advantages and mechanisms of MDCNM in the field of the ORR. This review classifies and summarizes the structure and different chemical compositions of MDCNM in low dimensions, and provides an in-depth analysis of the reasons for their improved ORR activity. Additionally, the recent practical applications of MDCNM as cathode material in fuel cells are introduced and analyzed in detail, with a focus on the enhanced electrochemical performance.

Cysteine-modified PEGylated nanoparticles for targeted delivery of methylprednisolone to pancreatitis.

The timely suppression of inflammatory mediator production and mitigation of their effects on pancreatic acinar cells are crucial for the successful management of acute pancreatitis. To achieve effective treatment, we present a novel approach utilizing cysteine modified PEG nanoparticles for both precise accumulation at the site of pancreatitis and specific targeting of acinar cells. Methylprednisolone, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was tailored to enhance its circulation time in the bloodstream, preferentially accumulate in the pancreas and enhance cell uptake efficiency by acinar cells through specifically targeting L-Type amino acid transporter 1. The nanosystem significantly downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines in plasma, resulting in the effective suppression of inflammation in acinar cells within an acute pancreatitis rat model. The utilization of the dual targeted therapy strategy holds considerable potential for the clinical management of pancreatitis.

Artificial intelligence-based diagnosis of standard endoscopic ultrasonography scanning sites in the biliopancreatic system: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: There are challenges for beginners to identify standard biliopancreatic system anatomical sites on endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) images. Therefore, the authors aimed to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based model to identify standard biliopancreatic system anatomical sites on EUS images. METHODS: The standard anatomical structures of the gastric and duodenal regions observed by EUS was divided into 14 sites. The authors used 6230 EUS images with standard anatomical sites selected from 1812 patients to train the CNN model, and then tested its diagnostic performance both in internal and external validations. Internal validation set tests were performed on 1569 EUS images of 47 patients from two centers. Externally validated datasets were retrospectively collected from 16 centers, and finally 131 patients with 85 322 EUS images were included. In the external validation, all EUS images were read by CNN model, beginners, and experts, respectively. The final decision made by the experts was considered as the gold standard, and the diagnostic performance between CNN model and beginners were compared. RESULTS: In the internal test cohort, the accuracy of CNN model was 92.1-100.0% for 14 standard anatomical sites. In the external test cohort, the sensitivity and specificity of CNN model were 89.45-99.92% and 93.35-99.79%, respectively. Compared with beginners, CNN model had higher sensitivity and specificity for 11 sites, and was in good agreement with the experts (Kappa values 0.84-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: The authors developed a CNN-based model to automatically identify standard anatomical sites on EUS images with excellent diagnostic performance, which may serve as a potentially powerful auxiliary tool in future clinical practice.

Occurrence of organotin compounds in food: increasing challenge of phenyltin compounds.

Concentrations and distribution for 16 organotin compounds were studied in all kinds of foods, including seafood, agricultural products, and wine. Meanwhile, the degradation of the TBT or TPhT was also evaluated. Concentrations of total organotins in seafood, agricultural products, and wine were 1047.2, 469.4, and 13.5 µg Sn/kg. Meanwhile, the most frequently detected organotin in three kinds of samples were TPhT, MPhT, and MPhT, respectively. The results demonstrated that phenyltin may probably become an emerging organotin pollutant. Regarding seafood, organotin concentrations of fish and mollusks were much higher than those of crustaceans. At the same time, a significant positive correlation was observed between the concentrations of TBT and MBT (p < 0.05), and between DBT and MBT(p < 0.0001). Moreover, TPhT was significantly and positively associated with DPhT (p < 0.0001), suggesting that TPhT was the precursor of DPhT. Apart from the likely illegal use of OTs as biocides in antifouling paints for ships, anthropogenic activity like agricultural activity or industrial activity also caused organotin contamination. Further research and more effective measures should be formulated to protect the food safety. Meanwhile, monitoring of the organotin contamination should not only in Qinhuangdao, but also expand to the cities along Bohai Bay.

Comparison between unilateral and bilateral percutaneous kyphoplasty in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture: A meta­analysis and systematic review.

The present study collected retrospective research data and compared the safety and efficacy of unilateral and bilateral percutaneous puncture kyphoplasty for the treatment of vertebral fractures caused by osteoporosis, to guide the selection of clinical surgical methods. In the present meta-analysis, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched from the establishment of the databases to March 2023. Studies that reported differences in the efficacy and safety between the unilateral and bilateral approaches in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were included in the analysis. Duplicate published studies, unpublished studies, studies with incomplete data, animal experiments, literature reviews and systematic studies were excluded from the analysis. All data were processed using STATA 15.1 statistical software. The pooled results demonstrated that there were no significant differences between the unilateral and bilateral approaches in the visual analog scores, Oswestry disability index, height restoration rate or incidence of cement leakage. However, the post-kyphotic angle of the unilateral approach was significantly lower than that of the bilateral approach (standardized mean difference, -0.41; 95% confidence interval, -0.68 to -0.14; P=0.003). Furthermore, the pooled results demonstrated that the unilateral approach required less operative time and a lower volume of injected cement, which is safer for elderly patients who are more likely to have underlying diseases.

Toxic cyanobacteria induce coupled changes in gut microbiota and co-metabolite of freshwater gastropods.

Frequent outbreaks of harmful cyanobacterial blooms and the microcystins (MCs) they produce seriously affect the survival of aquatic organisms. Interactions between gut microbiota and hosts often play crucial roles in driving the adaptation of aquatic organisms to environmental changes. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic indicators of the freshwater gastropod Bellamya aeruginosa, after uptake of Microcystis aeruginosa and explored its gut microbial composition and gut metabolites in response to toxic cyanobacterial stress. Results showed that the MCs concentration in the hepatopancreas of snails fed with toxic cyanobacteria decreased from 2.64 ± 0.14 µg·g-1 on day 7 to 1.16 ± 0.10 µg·g-1 on day 14. The compositions of the intestinal microbiota of snails fed with different algae significantly differed, and the relative abundance of gut microbes such as Lactobacillus and Sphingobium significantly increased after feeding toxic cyanobacteria. Significant differences also existed in intestinal metabolites, the relative abundance of the following metabolites significantly increased: l-proline, 5,6-DHET, stachyose, raffinose, and 3-isopropylmalate. Sankey network diagrams showing links between gut microbes and gut metabolites. The association of Lactobacillus and Sphingobium with amino acids may be related to host tolerance to toxicity, and the linkages of gut microbes with metabolites such as levan, imidazolepropionic acid, and eicosanoids may be associated with involvement in host immune responses. The association of microbes with stachyose and raffinose can help the host to regulate energy homeostasis. These results reveal the underlying mechanisms of gut microbes in the snail adaptation to toxic cyanobacterial stress. This study could be great important for gaining new insights into toxic cyanobacteria-induced changes in snail gut microbes and metabolites and their roles in snail adaptation to toxic cyanobacterial stress, and may provide important insights into the use of freshwater gastropods for the prevention and control of cyanobacterial blooms.

Bioinspired fine-tuning of the mechanical rigidity of SNEDDS for the efficient crossing of multiple gastrointestinal barriers.

Nanoproperties, such as size, charge, and rigidity, have been demonstrated to be crucial for nanovehicles to overcome numerous gastrointestinal obstacles. However, the facile approach of modifying the rigidity of nanovehicles remains scarce, limiting understanding of how rigidity impacts their oral delivery. Inspired by the fact that cellular phospholipid content regulates plasma membrane rigidity, the rigidity of self-nanoemulsifiying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) could be fine-tuned via phosphocholine content while their size and zeta potential remain unchanged, using insulin as a model drug. Notably, soft SNEDDS exerted longer gastrointestinal transit time, higher drug release rate, stronger gastrointestinal stability and relatively lower mucus permeation but superior epithelial transcytosis than their hard counterparts in a macropinocytosis-dependent manner. The rigidity-related enhanced transcytosis was attributed to improved endocytosis, lysosome escape capability and exocytosis. Rats with type 1 diabetes exhibited greater oral insulin absorption and blood glucose lowering effect with soft SNEDDS. This study demonstrated the regulatory role of phospholipids in nanovehicle rigidity, which could help develop mechanically optimized nanomedicines in the future.

Cement-augmented pedicle screw for thoracolumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cement-augmentation pedicle screws have been widely used in spinal internal fixation surgery combined with osteoporosis in recent years, which can significantly improve the fixation strength, but compared with conventional methods, whether it has more advantages is still inconclusive of evidencebased medicine. To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of cement-augmented pedicle screw in the treatment of thoracolumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library for studies published from the establishment of the database up until June 2023. We included studies that concerning the cement-augmented pedicle screw and the traditional pedicle screw placement for thoracolumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis. We excluded repeated publication, researches without full text, incomplete information or inability to conduct data extraction and animal experiments, case report, reviews and systematic reviews. STATA 15.1 software was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The sample size of patients were totally 881, of which, 492 patients in cement-augmented screw group and 389 patients in conventional screw group. Meta-analysis results showed that Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score (WMD = 1.69, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.22), intervertebral space height (WMD = 1.66, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.29) and post-operation fusion rate (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 1.49 to 5.25) were higher in the cement-augmented screw group than those in the conventional screw group. Operation time was longer in the cement-augmented screw group than that in the conventional screw group (WMD = 15.47, 95% CI 1.25 to 29.70). Screw loosening rate was lower in the cement-augmented screw group than those in the conventional screw group (OR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.22). However, hospitalization time, intraoperative blood loss and Visual analog scale (VAS) score were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional pedicle screw placement, cement-augmented pedicle screw is more effective in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar degenerative disease by improving fusion rate and interbody height, reducing the incidence of screw loosening, and elevating long-term efficacy.

Isolation and purification of high polar glycosides from aerial parts of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino by linear gradient counter-current chromatography coupled with inner-recycling mode.

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino represents the popular health food and supplemental product with broad pharmacological activities. The highly polar glycosides, including flavonoids and saponins, are major effective active components that contain diverse sugar positions and quantities, which result in diverse chemical polarities, making it challenging to separate and isolate these components. The present work described the rapid and efficient linear gradient counter-current chromatography to preparatively separate glycosides from aboveground parts of G. pentaphyllum. Besides, the ethyl acetate and n-butanol binary mobile phases were achieved through adjusting associated proportions. Six glycosides, including quercetin-3-O-neohesperidoside (1), kaempferol-3-O-robinobioside (2), kaempferol-3-O-neohesperidoside (3), gypenoside LVI (4), ginsenoside Rb3 (5), and gypenoside XLVI (6), were isolated at the purities greater than 98%. Moreover, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance tandem mass spectrometry were conducted for structural identification. According to our findings, the established linear gradient counter-current chromatography was an efficient approach to separate the highly polar glycosides from aboveground parts of G. pentaphyllum. Our proposed strategy can be used to separate active compounds from other complex natural products.

Pickering emulsion stabilized by parasin I and chitosan nanoparticles enhances protection against intestinal microbiota homeostasis by reducing inflammation in peritonitis mice.

Although various researches evaluated the stability and drug loading efficiency of chitosan Pickering emulsion, few studies assessed the role and mechanism of emulsions in gut flora homeostasis. Thus, in the basics of our previously published natural and antimicrobial Pickering emulsions, the function of emulsion on the intestinal microbiota and inflammation response was explored in Kunming mice with peritonitis. The results showed that lipid/peptide nanoparticles emulsion (LPNE) and the chitosan peptide-embedded nanoparticles emulsion (CPENE) presented less collagen fiber than parasin I in peritoneal tissue, and CPENE could reduce peritoneal inflammation by decreasing the expression of NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3). The CPENE showed better histological morphology with a smaller fibrosis area in the spleen. Moreover, CPENE, LPNE, and parasin I-conjugated chitosan nanoparticle emulsion (PCNE) groups can increase the abundance of ABC transporters, DNA repair, and recombination proteins, and improve gut microbial. Furthermore, the Pickering emulsion showed a better protection effect on the composition and function of intestinal microbiota by decreasing interleukin-1ß secretion and assembly of the inflammasome of NLRP3. These results could provide evidence for intestinal microbiota homeostasis of chitosan Pickering emulsion in inflammation-related diseases.

Multi-Response Optimization of High-Performance Low-pH Grouting Materials by Using Taguchi-Based Grey Relational Analysis.

The most accepted approach to sealing in high-level radioactive waste repositories (HLRWs) is to develop a low-pH grouting material with a pH of the pore solution of less than 11. Currently, the most widely used binary low-pH grouting material is MCSF64, which comprises 60% microfine cement (MC) and 40% silica fume (SF). In this study, a high-performance MCSF64-based grouting material was developed by incorporating naphthalene superplasticizer (NSP), aluminum sulfate (AS), and united expansion agent (UEA) to enhance the slurry's shear strength, compressive strength, and hydration process. Orthogonal experiments were conducted to measure the flow time, yield stress, plastic viscosity, initial setting time, shear strength, and compressive strength of the MCSF64-based slurry, and the optimal mix proportion was determined using the Taguchi-Grey relational analysis method. The pH variation of the pore solution, shrinkage/expansion, and hydration products of the optimal hardened slurry were evaluated using simplified ex-situ leaching (S-ESL), a length comparometer, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The results demonstrate that the Bingham model effectively predicted the rheological properties of the MCSF64-based slurry. The optimum ratio for the MCSF64-based slurry was water/binder (W/B) ratio of 1.4, and the contents of NSP, AS and UEA by mass of binder were 1.9%, 3.6% and 4.8%, respectively. The optimal mix exhibited a pH value below 11 after curing for 120 days. The addition of AS and UEA facilitated hydration, shortened the initial setting time, improved early shear strength, and enhanced the expansion ability of the optimal mix under water curing conditions.

Transformable prodrug nanoplatform via tumor microenvironment modulation and immune checkpoint blockade potentiates immunogenic cell death mediated cancer immunotherapy.

Rationale: Chemoimmunotherapy is a promising approach in cancer immunotherapy. However, its therapeutic efficacy is restricted by high reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, an abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in tumor microenvironment (TME) as well as immune checkpoints for escaping immunosurveillance. Methods: Herein, a new type of TME and reduction dual-responsive polymersomal prodrug (TRPP) nanoplatform was constructed when the D-peptide antagonist (DPPA-1) of programmed death ligand-1 was conjugated onto the surface, and talabostat mesylate (Tab, a fibroblast activation protein inhibitor) was encapsulated in the watery core (DPPA-TRPP/Tab). Doxorubicin (DOX) conjugation in the chain served as an immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducer and hydrophobic part. Results: DPPA-TRPP/Tab reassembled into a micellar structure in vivo with TME modulation by Tab, ROS consumption by 2, 2'-diselanediylbis(ethan-1-ol), immune checkpoint blockade by DPPA-1 and ICD generation by DOX. This resolved the dilemma between a hydrophilic Tab release in the TME for CAF inhibition and intracellular hydrophobic DOX release for ICD via re-assembly in weakly acidic TME with polymersome-micelle transformation. In vivo results indicated that DPPA-TRPP/Tab could improve tumor accumulation, suppress CAF formation, downregulate regulatory T cells and promote T lymphocyte infiltration. In mice, it gave a 60% complete tumor regression ratio and a long-term immune memory response. Conclusion: The study offers potential in tumor eradication via exploiting an "all-in-one" smart polymeric nanoplatform.

Quantitative detection of purine from food products with different water activities using needle-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors.

Typically, for accurate quantitative tests of molecules, considering the actual solute concentration in the environment with different water activities (Aws) is essential. Accordingly, for effective detection of food substances, this paper proposes a non-destructive pluggable sensor to capture and monitor four free purines based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering characteristics such as sensitivity, uniformity, repeatability, and stability. In particular, we investigate the impact of Aw on the evaluation of purine detection and its deviation corrections. Furthermore, the recoveries of purine from three food products, including fish (Aw: 0.99), ham (Aw: 0.91), and bacon (Aw: 0.73), are subsequently explored to validate the reliability of the proposed method. The results indicate that the proposed non-destructive pluggable sensor performs better when the Aw is considered. Therefore, this strategy for achieving more reliable quantitative detection by rectifying deviations based on the Aw can significantly help monitor food quality.

Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Peptides from Larimichthys polyactis: Characterization and In Vitro/In Silico Evidence.

Hyperuricemia is linked to a variety of disorders that can have serious consequences for human health. Peptides that inhibit xanthine oxidase (XO) are expected to be a safe and effective functional ingredient for the treatment or relief of hyperuricemia. The goal of this study was to discover whether papain small yellow croaker hydrolysates (SYCHs) have potent xanthine oxidase inhibitory (XOI) activity. The results showed that compared to the XOI activity of SYCHs (IC50 = 33.40 ± 0.26 mg/mL), peptides with a molecular weight (MW) of less than 3 kDa (UF-3) after ultrafiltration (UF) had stronger XOI activity, which was reduced to IC50 = 25.87 ± 0.16 mg/mL (p < 0.05). Two peptides were identified from UF-3 using nano-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. These two peptides were chemically synthesized and tested for XOI activity in vitro. Trp-Asp-Asp-Met-Glu-Lys-Ile-Trp (WDDMEKIW) (p < 0.05) had the stronger XOI activity (IC50 = 3.16 ± 0.03 mM). The XOI activity IC50 of the other peptide, Ala-Pro-Pro-Glu-Arg-Lys-Tyr-Ser-Val-Trp (APPERKYSVW), was 5.86 ± 0.02 mM. According to amino acid sequence results, the peptides contained at least 50% hydrophobic amino acids, which might be responsible for reducing xanthine oxidase (XO) catalytic activity. Furthermore, the inhibition of the peptides (WDDMEKIW and APPERKYSVW) against XO may depend on their binding to the XO active site. According to molecular docking, certain peptides made from small yellow croaker proteins were able to bind to the XO active site through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. The results of this work illuminate SYCHs as a promising functional candidate for the prevention of hyperuricemia.

Antitumor activity and mechanism of cucurbitacin B in A549/DDP cells.

Cucurbitacin B (CuB) is a class of tetracyclic triterpenoids isolated from Cucurbitaceae with a wide range of anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activities, mainly used in hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, while there is relatively little research and application of this drug for lung cancer. In this study, CuB was administered on A549/DDP cells to observe how it affected the cells and their mechanism of action. CuB demonstrated good anti-tumor activity against A549/DDP cells in a dose-dependent manner and caused changes in the hedgehog (Hh) pathway. The results showed that CuB greatly inhibits the proliferation and the invasion of A549/DDP cells, and promoted apoptosis of A549/DDP cells. Meanwhile, it changed the expression of p53-related genes at the RNA and protein level. In conclusion, this experiment provides a theoretical basis for new applications of CuB and new thoughts on the mechanism of its anti-tumor activity, and provides a direction for deep research.

Comprehensive investigation of the content and the origin of matrine-type alkaloids in Chinese honeys.

A HPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of four matrine-type alkaloids (matrine, oxymatrine, sophocarpine and sophoridine) in honey was established and was applied to 567 Chinese honey samples. The overall detection rate was 61.0 % and all eight Sophora viciifolia Hance honey samples were detected with the average content of 1183.3 µg/kg. Among 383 Acacia honey samples, matrine-type alkaloids have the highest detection rates in Gansu (98.8 %) and Shaanxi (86.5 %) provinces, which were significantly correlated with the distribution of S. viciifolia Hance. Moreover, matrine-type alkaloids in fruits and flowers of S. viciifolia Hance were as high as 7.06 g/kg and 2.65 g/kg respectively. The melissopalynological analysis showed that the concentration of oxymatrine was positively correlated with the pollen frequency of S. viciifolia Hance (R2 = 0.737) in representative Acacia honey samples. It can be concluded that the matrine-type alkaloids in Chinese honeys come from the nectariferous plants S. viciifolia Hance.

Absorption of iron from Tegillarca granosa using an in vitro simulated digestion and Caco-2/HepG2 co-culture system.

BACKGROUND: Iron-deficiency anemia is one severe micronutrient malnutrition and has captured worldwide attention. This study evaluated the in vitro iron absorption of two iron-binding proteins (hemoglobin and ferritin) from Tegillarca granosa. In addition, the protein structure-iron absorption relationship and the regulatory effect of hepcidin on cellular iron absorption were explored. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that both hemoglobin and ferritin extracted from T. granosa contained abundant iron-binding sites, as evidenced by stronger peaks in amide I and II regions compared with the two proteins from humans. Less ß-sheet (27.67%) structures were found in hemoglobin compared with ferritin (36.40%), probably contributing to its greater digestibility and more release of available iron. This was confirmed by the results of Caco-2/HepG2 cell culture system that showed iron absorption of hemoglobin was 26.10-39.31% higher than that of ferritin with an iron content of 50-150 µmol L-1 . This high iron absorption of hemoglobin (117.86-174.10 ng mg-1 ) could also be due to more hepcidin produced by HepG2 cells, thereby preventing ferroportin-mediated iron efflux from Caco-2 cells. In addition, the possible risk of oxidative stress was evaluated in cells post-iron exposure. In comparison with ferrous sulfate, a common iron supplement, Caco-2 cells treated with the iron-binding proteins had a 9.50-25.73% lower level of intracellular reactive oxygen species, indicating the safety of hemoglobin and ferritin. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the data of this research would be helpful for understanding the key features and potential of developing hemoglobin and ferritin from T. granosa as novel iron supplements. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.