Structurally Modulated Formation of Cyanine J-Aggregates with Sharp and Tunable Spectra for Multiplexed Optoacoustic and Fluorescence Bioimaging.

J-aggregation brings intriguing optical and electronic properties to molecular dyes and significantly expands their applicability across diverse domains, yet the challenge for rationally designing J-aggregating dyes persists. Herein, we developed a large number of J-aggregating dyes from scratch by progressively refining structure of a common heptamethine cyanine. J-aggregates with sharp spectral bands (full-width at half-maximum≤38 nm) are attained by introducing a branched structure featuring a benzyl and a trifluoroacetyl group at meso-position of dyes. Fine-tuning the benzyl group enables spectral regulation of J-aggregates. Analysis of single crystal data of nine dyes reveals a correlation between J-aggregation propensity and molecular arrangement within crystals. Some J-aggregates are successfully implemented in multiplexed optoacoustic and fluorescence imaging in animals. Notably, three-color multispectral optoacoustic tomography imaging with high spatiotemporal resolution is achieved, owing to the sharp and distinct absorption bands of the J-aggregates.

Porphyrin-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks Anchoring Au Single Atoms for Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation.

The development of efficient photocatalysts for N2 fixation to produce NH3 under ambient conditions remains a great challenge. Since covalent organic frameworks (COFs) possess predesignable chemical structures, good crystallinity, and high porosity, it is highly significant to explore their potential for photocatalytic nitrogen conversion. Herein, we report a series of isostructural porphyrin-based COFs loaded with Au single atoms (COFX-Au, X = 1-5) for photocatalytic N2 fixation. The porphyrin building blocks act as the docking sites to immobilize Au single atoms as well as light-harvesting antennae. The microenvironment of the Au catalytic center is precisely tuned by controlling the functional groups at the proximal and distal positions of porphyrin units. As a result, COF1-Au decorated with strong electron-withdrawing groups exhibits a high activity toward NH3 production with rates of 333.0 ± 22.4 µmol g-1 h-1 and 37.0 ± 2.5 mmol gAu-1 h-1, which are 2.8- and 171-fold higher than that of COF4-Au decorated with electron-donating functional groups and a porphyrin-Au molecular catalyst, respectively. The NH3 production rates could be further increased to 427.9 ± 18.7 µmol g-1 h-1 and 61.1 ± 2.7 mmol gAu-1 h-1 under the catalysis of COF5-Au featuring two different kinds of strong electron-withdrawing groups. The structure-activity relationship analysis reveals that the introduction of electron-withdrawing groups facilitates the separation and transportation of photogenerated electrons within the entire framework. This work manifests that the structures and optoelectronic properties of COF-based photocatalysts can be finely tuned through a rational predesign at the molecular level, thus leading to superior NH3 evolution.

Bottom-Up Design of Photoactive Chiral Covalent Organic Frameworks for Visible-Light-Driven Asymmetric Catalysis.

The development of chiral covalentorganic framework catalysts (CCOFs) to synthesize enantiopure organic compounds is crucial and highly desirable in synthetic chemistry. Photocatalytic asymmetric reactions based on CCOFs are eco-friendly and sustainable while they are still elaborate. In this work, we report a general bottom-up strategy to successfully synthesize several photoactive CCOFX (X = 1-5 and 1-Boc). The photoactive porphyrin building blocks are selected as knots and various secondary-amine-based chiral catalytic centers are immobilized on the pore walls of CCOFX through a rational design of benzoimidazole linkers. The porphyrin units act as light-harvesting antennae to generate photo-induced charge carriers for the activation of bromide during the photocatalytic asymmetric alkylation of aldehydes. Meanwhile, various aldehydes are activated by the chiral secondary amine to form the target products with a high yield (up to 97%) and ee value (up to 93%). The results significantly expand the scope to predesign CCOF photocatalysts for visible-light-driven asymmetric catalysis.

Cobaloxime-Integrated Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Coupled with Alcohol Oxidation.

We report an azide-functionalized cobaloxime proton-reduction catalyst covalently tethered into the Wurster-type covalent organic frameworks (COFs). The cobaloxime-modified COF photocatalysts exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alcohol-containing solution with no presence of a typical sacrificial agent. The best performing cobaloxime-modified COF hybrid catalyzes hydrogen production with an average HER rate up to 38 µmol h-1 in ethanol/phosphate buffer solution under 4 h illumination. Ultrafast transient optical spectroscopy characterizations and charge carrier analysis reveal that the alcohol contents functioning as hole scavengers could be oxidized by the photogenerated holes of COFs to form aldehydes and protons. The consumption of the photogenerated holes thus suppresses exciton recombination of COFs and improves the ratio of free electrons that were effectively utilized to drive catalytic reaction for HER. This work demonstrates a great potential of COF-catalyzed HER using alcohol solvents as hole scavengers and provides an example toward realizing the accessibility to the scope of reaction conditions and a greener route for energy conversion.

Directing the Architecture of Surface-Clean Cu2O for CO Electroreduction.

Tailoring the morphology of nanocrystals is a promising way to enhance their catalytic performance. In most previous shape-controlled synthesis strategies, surfactants are inevitable due to their capability to stabilize different facets. However, the adsorbed surfactants block the intrinsic active sites of the nanocrystals, reducing their catalytic performance. For now, strategies to control the morphology without surfactants are still limited but necessary. Herein, a facile surfactant-free synthesis method is developed to regulate the morphology of Cu2O nanocrystals (e.g., solid nanocube, concave nanocube, cubic framework, branching nanocube, branching concave nanocube, and branching cubic framework) to enhance the electrocatalytic performance for the conversion of CO to n-propanol. Specifically, the Cu2O branching cubic framework (BCF-Cu2O), which is difficult to fabricate using previous surfactant-free methods, is fabricated by combining the concentration depletion effect and the oxidation etching process. More significantly, the BCF-Cu2O-derived catalyst (BCF) presents the highest n-propanol current density (-0.85 mA cm-2) at -0.45 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (VRHE), which is fivefold higher than that of the surfactant-coated Cu2O nanocube-derived catalyst (SFC, -0.17 mA cm-2). In terms of the n-propanol Faradaic efficiency in CO electroreduction, that of the BCF exhibits a 41% increase at -0.45 VRHE as compared with SFC. The high catalytic activity of the BCF that results from the clean surface and the coexistence of Cu(100) and Cu(110) in the lattice is well-supported by density functional theory calculations. Thus, this work presents an important paradigm for the facile fabrication of surface-clean nanocrystals with an enhanced application performance.

Animal by-products collagen and derived peptide, as important components of innovative sustainable food systems-a comprehensive review.

In 2020, the world's food crisis and health industry ushered into a real outbreak. On one side, there were natural disasters such as the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), desert locusts, floods, and droughts exacerbating the world food crisis, while on the other side, the social development and changes in lifestyles prompted the health industry to gradually shift from a traditional medical model to a new pattern of prevention, treatment, and nourishment. Therefore, this article reviews animal by-products collagen and derived peptide, as important components of innovative sustainable food systems. The review also considered the preparation, identification, and characterization of animal by-product collagen and collagen peptides as well as their impacts on the food system (including food processing, packaging, preservation, and functional foods). Finally, the application and research progress of animal by-product collagen and peptide in the food system along with the future development trend were discussed. This knowledge would be of great significance for a comprehensive understanding of animal by-product collagen and collagen peptides and would encourage the use of collagen in food processing, preservation, and functional foods.

Emerging contrast agents for multispectral optoacoustic imaging and their biomedical applications.

Optoacoustic imaging is a hybrid biomedical imaging modality which collects ultrasound waves generated via photoexciting contrast agents in tissues and produces images of high resolution and penetration depth. As a functional optoacoustic imaging technique, multispectral optoacoustic imaging, which can discriminate optoacoustic signals from different contrast agents by illuminating samples with multi-wavelength lasers and then processing the collected data with specific algorithms, assists in the identification of a specific contrast agent in target tissues and enables simultaneous molecular and physiological imaging. Moreover, multispectral optoacoustic imaging can also generate three-dimensional images for biological tissues/samples with high resolution and thus holds great potential in biomedical applications. Contrast agents play essential roles in optoacoustic imaging, and they have been widely explored and applied as probes and sensors in recent years, leading to the emergence of a variety of new contrast agents. In this review, we aim to summarize the latest advances in emerging contrast agents, especially the activatable ones which can respond to specific biological stimuli, as well as their preclinical and clinical applications. We highlight their design strategies, discuss the challenges and prospects in multispectral optoacoustic imaging, and outline the possibility of applying it in clinical translation and public health services using synthetic contrast agents.

Circularly Polarized Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence from Amorphous Copolymers.

Organic optoelectronic functional materials featuring circularly polarized emission and persistent luminescence represent a novel research frontier and show promising applications in data encryption, displays, biological imaging, and so on. Herein, we present a simple and universal approach to achieve circularly polarized organic phosphorescence (CPP) from amorphous copolymers by the incorporation of axial chiral chromophores into polymer chains via radical cross-linked polymerization. Our experimental data reveal that copolymers (R/S)-PBNA exhibit a maximum CPP efficiency of 30.6% and the largest dissymmetric factor of 9.4 × 10-3 and copolymers (R/S)-PNA show the longest lifetime of 0.68 s under ambient conditions. Given the CPP property of these copolymers, their potential applications in multiple information encryption and displays are demonstrated, respectively. These findings not only lay the foundation for the development of amorphous polymers with superior CPP but also expand the outlook of room-temperature phosphorescent materials.

Dual Gate-Controlled Therapeutics for Overcoming Bacterium-Induced Drug Resistance and Potentiating Cancer Immunotherapy.

The presence of bacteria in the tumor can cause cancer resistance to chemotherapeutics. To fight against bacterium-induced drug resistance, herein we design self-traceable nanoreservoirs that are simultaneously loaded with gemcitabine (an anticancer drug) and ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic) and are decorated with hyaluronic acid for active tumor targeting. The nanoreservoirs have a pH-sensitive gate and an enzyme-responsive gate that can be opened in the acidic and hyaluronidase-abundant tumor microenvironment to control drug release rates. Moreover, the nanoreservoirs can specifically target the tumor regions without eliciting evident toxicity to normal tissues, kill the intratumoral bacteria, and inhibit the tumor growth even in the presence of the bacteria. Unexpectedly, the nanoreservoirs can activate T cell-mediated immune responses through promoting antigen-presenting dendritic cell maturation and depleting immunosuppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells in bacterium-infected tumors.

Missing-Linker-Assisted Artesunate Delivery by Metal-Organic Frameworks for Synergistic Cancer Treatment.

Clinical translation of artesunate (ATS) as a potent antitumor drug has been obstructed by its rapid degradation and low bioavailability. Herein, we report the development of an ATS nanomedicine through the self-assembly with Mn[Co(CN)6 ]2/3 □1/3 metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that have hidden missing linkers. The defects in MOFs originating from the missing linkers play a key role in increasing the biological stability and tumor accumulation of ATS. Chlorin e6 (Ce6) and ATS can be co-loaded into MOFs for a synergistic antitumor efficacy. In the presence of intracellular HCO3- , Mn2+ acts as an efficient catalyst to promote the bicarbonate-activated H2 O2 system which oxidizes ATS to generate reactive oxygen species and induce oxidative death to cancer cells. The released [CoIII (CN)6 ] linker undergoes a redox reaction with intracellular glutathione to prevent the scavenging ability of reactive oxygen species, contributing to synergistic chemodynamic therapy of ATS and photodynamic therapy of Ce6. Thus, defect-engineered MOFs with hidden missing linkers hold great promise in advancing the practical use of ATS as an antitumor medicine.

AIE fluorophore with enhanced cellular uptake for tracking esterase-activated release of taurine and ROS scavenging.

Fluorophores with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics are attractive and versatile tools for both chemical sensing and biological imaging. Herein, we designed and synthesized a fluorescent light-up system CTPE-Tau with enhanced cellular uptake ability. The system possesses several advantages, such as a large Stokes shift, low cytotoxicity, and good photostability. Also, it has been successfully utilized to track esterase-activated release of taurine and to scavenge intracellular ROS, and shows great potential for trackable visualized therapy.

Immune responses to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Schizothorax prenanti fed with oxidized konjac glucomannan and its acidolysis products.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of dietary oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM) and its acidolysis products (L-OKGM) on the immune parameters and the gene expression profile of some inflammatory-related cytokines from Schizothorax prenanti during the early stages of injection with Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish were orally administered with seven different diets containing 0 g kg(-1) (control diet), 8.0, 16.0 and 32.0 g kg(-1) OKGM and L-OKGM diets for 60 days prior to injection. After 60 days, the control and the treated fish were intraperitoneally injected with 0.2 ml PBS or 2 × 10(7) cfu/ml bacteria per fish and sampled at time 6 h post-injection. The results showed that the serum lysozyme activity and complement C3 level of fish fed 8.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM was significantly increased after bacterial infection. Moreover, the injection with A. hydrophila generally up-regulated the expression of all measured genes when compared to their corresponding controls. When compared with the control group, the expression of TLR22, TNF-α and IL-1ß was significantly increased in fish fed OKGM and L-OKGM diet after bacterial injection. Furthermore, the L-OKGM diet showed higher activity to trigger the immune response against bacteria, especially the low dosage L-OKGM diet. The results suggested that both of OKGM and L-OKGM are promising feed additive for S. prenanti in aquaculture.

Effects of dietary oxidized konjac glucomannan sulfates (OKGMS) and acidolysis-oxidized konjac glucomannan (A-OKGM) on the immunity and expression of immune-related genes of Schizothorax prenanti.

In the present study, konjac glucomannan (KGM) was degraded by H2O2, and then used trisulfonated sodium amine and HCl, individually, to obtain two kinds of derivatives: oxidized konjac glucomannan sulfates (OKGMS) and acidolysis-oxidized konjac glucomannan (A-OKGM). The effects of two OKGM modified products on the immune parameters and expressions of toll-like receptor 22 (TLR22), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and interferon regulatory factors 7 (IRF7) genes in Schizothorax prenanti were determined. The alternative haemolytic complement (ACH50) activity was found to be significantly increased by the OKGMS diets. The immunoglobulin M (IgM) level was significantly enhanced by the OKGMS diets. The lysozyme activity was significantly increased by both OKGMS and A-OKGM diets. The superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity in fish fed with all doses of OKGMS diets was significantly higher than that in fish fed with basal diet. The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity in fish fed with 0.8% and 1.6% A-OKGM diets was significantly higher than control group. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly decreased by both OKGMS and A-OKGM diets. The 0.8% A-OKGM diet significantly up-regulated TLR22 gene expression in the head kidney and spleen. TLR22 gene expression was significantly promoted by all OKGMS diets in the mesonephros and liver. The MyD88 mRNA level in 1.6% A-OKGM group significantly increased in the head kidney. The low dose of OKGMS significantly induced the MyD88 gene expression in the mesonephros, gut and liver, while 0.8% A-OKGM group also showed a significantly enhanced MyD88 mRNA expression in the gut. High dose of OKGMS significantly increased the IRF7 mRNA expression in the mesonephros and spleen. Fish fed with low dose of A-OKGM showed significantly higher expression of IRF7 in the gut and liver. Present study suggested that OKGMS and A-OKGM can act as immunostimulant to improve the immune indexes and up-regulate the immune-related gene expressions.

The effects of dietary oxidized konjac glucomannan and its acidolysis products on the immune response, expression of immune related genes and disease resistance of Schizothorax prenanti.

In the present study, KGM was degraded by H2O2 and HCl to obtain two products with different molecular weights: oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM, 4.7 × 10(5) Da) and low-molecular-weight oxidized konjac glucomannan (L-OKGM, 9.2 × 10(3) Da). The effects of the two OKGM products on IL-1ß, TNF-α, and TLR22 gene expression, and immune parameters and the resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila of Schizothorax prenanti were determined. The results showed that the lysozyme activity was significantly enhanced by the L-OKGM diets. The SOD activity was significantly increased by both OKGM and L-OKGM diets. The MDA level of fish fed the OKGM and L-OKGM diets was significantly lower than the control group. IL-1ß mRNA level in the spleen significantly increased in all L-OKGM fed groups. The 8.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM diet also significantly up-regulated IL-1ß gene expression in the head kidney. In the gut, IL-1ß mRNA levels were significantly higher in fish fed with the 8.0 g kg(-1) OKGM and 16.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM diets. The TNF-α mRNA level of L-OKGM group significantly increased in the spleen, head kidney and gut. High dosing of OKGM significantly up-regulated TNF-α transcription in the head kidney, while only the 8.0 g kg(-1) OKGM group showed significantly higher TNF-α mRNA expression in the mesonephros. Fish fed the L-OKGM diets showed significantly higher expression of TLR22 in the spleen, head kidney and mesonephros. After the injection of A. hydrophila, the 8.0 g kg(-1) L-OKGM group showed a significantly higher survival rate than did the control group. Present study suggests that OKGM and L-OKGM can up-regulate immune-related gene expression and enhance disease resistance in S. prenanti, and L-OKGM exhibits higher immunomodulatory activity.

Effect of dietary oxidized konjac glucomannan on Schizothorax prenanti growth performance, body composition, intestinal morphology and intestinal microflora.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of oxidized konjac glucomannan (OKGM) on Schizothorax prenanti growth performance, body composition, intestinal morphology and intestinal microflora. Fish were fed a basal diet or basal diet plus 4.0, 8.0, 16.0 and 32.0 g kg(-1) OKGM for 60 days. The results indicated that WGR and SGR were significantly higher in fish fed 8.0 and 16.0 g kg(-1) OKGM diets (P < 0.05) than those in fish fed basal diet, and PER was significantly higher and FCR was significantly lower in fish fed 16.0 g kg(-1) OKGM diet (P < 0.05). The content of body protein, lipid and moisture was affected by the OKGM diets. The light and electron microscopy demonstrated that intestinal morphology of fish fed 8.0 and 16.0 g kg(-1) OKGM diet was better (P < 0.05) than the control group, including mucosa fold height, mucosal epithelial height, submucosa height, longitudinal muscularis thickness and circular muscularis thickness. Compared with the control group, fish fed 32.0 g kg(-1) OKGM diet showed significantly lower goblet cell number in anterior intestine (P < 0.05). Furthermore, intestinal microflora was analyzed by PCR-DGGE, and the results showed that OKGM diets also significantly modulated the intestinal microflora of fish (P < 0.05). The study clearly demonstrates that OKGM could enhance the growth performance, improve intestinal morphology and modulate intestinal microflora of S. prenanti, and the optimal dietary OKGM levels was suggested to be 16.0 g kg(-1).

Insights into the Volatile Flavor Profiles of Two Types of Beef Tallow via Electronic Nose and Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry Analysis.

In the current study, an electronic nose (E-nose) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) were employed to investigate the volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) of intense flavor beef tallow (L) and ordinary beef tallow (P). The study results indicate that an E-nose combined with an LDA and GC-IMS combined with an OPLS-DA can effectively distinguish between the two types of beef tallow. Compared with ordinary beef tallow, the E-nose sensors of intense flavor beef tallow have stronger response signals to sulfides, terpenes, and nitrogen oxides. A total of 22 compounds contribute to making the flavor of intense flavor beef tallow more typical and richer; in contrast, ethyl acetate was the main aroma-active compound found in the ordinary beef tallow. Sulfur-containing compounds and terpenoids might be the key substances that cause sensory flavor differences between the two types of beef tallow. In conclusion, the results of this study clarify the characteristics and differences of the two types of beef tallow and provide an enhanced understanding of the differences in the flavors of the two types of beef tallow.

Characterization of the distinct immune microenvironments between hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

As two major types of primary liver cancers, the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) have been well studied separately. However, a systemic assessment of the similarities and differences between the TIME of HCC and ICC is still lacking. In this study, we pictured a landscape of combined TIME of HCC and ICC by sequencing and integrating 41 single-cell RNA-seq samples from four different tissue types of both malignancies. We found that T cells in HCC tumors generally exhibit higher levels of immunosuppression and exhaustion than those in ICC tumors. Myeloid cells in HCC and ICC tumors also exhibit distinct phenotypes and may serve as a key factor driving the differences between their TIMEs. Besides, we identified a cluster of EGR1+ macrophages specifically enriched in HCC tumors. Together, our study provides new insights into cellular composition, states and interactions in the TIMEs of HCC and ICC, which could pave the way for the development of future therapeutic targets for liver cancers.

Hyperbranched polyester-based fluorescent probe for histone deacetylase via aggregation-induced emission.

Aberrant expression of histone deacetylases (HDACs) is related to various types of cancer and is associated with increased proliferation of tumor cells. Hence, the detection of HDAC activities is of great significance for medical sciences as well as biological diagnostics. Herein, we report a hyperbranched polyester-based one-step fluorescent assay for HDAC. This assay system consists of two water-soluble components: the hyperbranched polyester coupled with the acetylated lysine groups (H40-Lys(Ac)) and the negatively charged TPE derivative bearing two sulfonic acid groups (TPE-2SO3(-)). HDAC triggers the deacetylation of H40-Lys(Ac), thereby turning the electroneutral polymer into the positively charged one. Consequently, complexation occurs between the positively charged polymer and the negatively charged TPE-2SO3(-), thereby leading to the formation of nanoaggregates due to electrostatic interaction. Eventually, the fluorescence enhancement as a result of AIE effect is achieved. This assay system is operable in aqueous media with very low detection limit of 25 ng/mL. The system is capable of detecting HDAC in such biological fluid as serum, and this strategy may provide a new and effective approach for enzyme assay.

Effects of Oxidized Konjac glucomannan (OKGM) on growth and immune function of Schizothorax prenanti.

Schizothorax prenanti is an important existemic commercial fish in River Yangtze. OKGM (Oxidized Konjac glucomannan) is a kind of polysaccharide oxidative degraded from KGM. Added 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 mg/kg OKGM into the diets of S. prenanti. After 60 days feeding trial, WGR (weight gain rate), SGR (specific growth rate), PER (protein efficiency ratio) of groups fed the diet with 8000 mg/kg OKGM was all significantly (P < 0.05) higher; FCR (feed conversion ratio) was significantly lower than the control group whose diet have no OKGM. Hepatopancreas index, spleen index of group 6 whose feed added 8000 mg/kg OKGM were significantly higher and gallbladder index was significantly lower than the control group. Erythrocyte number, leukocyte number of group 5, 6 whose feed added 4000, 8000 mg/kg OKGM were excellent significantly (P < 0.01) more than the control group. At the same time, Erythrocyte phagocytic rate, erythrocyte phagocytic index, neutrophilic granulocyte phagocytic rate, neutrophilic granulocyte phagocytic index of all the groups whose diet added OKGM were significantly higher than the control group. Content of IgM, C3 of group 4 whose feed added 2000 mg/kg OKGM were significantly more than the control group. As for activity of CAT, group 6 was significantly higher than the control group. When compared activity of SOD, group 6 was significantly higher than group 1, 2, 3. Accordingly, activity of GSH-Px of group 3, 4, 5, 6 were significantly higher than the control group. On the contrary, content of MDA, group 3, 4, 5, 6 whose feed added 1000-8000 mg/kg OKGM was excellent significantly lower than the control group. After injected Aeromonas hydrophila 21 days, only group 6 whose feed added 8000 mg/kg OKGM survived excellent significantly more than the control group. So we can draw a conclusion of that added OKGM in the diets of S. prenanti, not only promoted growth, but also improved immune function, and the best dose was 8000 mg/kg in this experiment.

Effects of Abelmoschus manihot gum content, heating temperature and salt ions on the texture and rheology properties of konjac gum/Abelmoschus manihot gum composite gel.

To improve the gelling property of konjac gum (KGM) and enhance the application value of Abelmoschus manihot (L.) medic gum (AMG), a novel type of gel was prepared using KGM and AMG in this study. The effects of AMG content, heating temperature and salt ions on the characteristics of KGM/AMG composite gels were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, texture analysis and dynamic rheological behavior analysis. The results indicated that the AMG content, heating temperature and salt ions could affect the gel strength of KGM/AMG composite gels. Hardness, springiness, resilience, G', G* and η* of KGM/AMG composite gels increased when AMG content increased from 0 to 2.0 %, but they decreased when AMG increased from 2.0 % to 3.5 %. High-temperature treatment significantly enhanced the texture and rheological properties of KGM/AMG composite gels. The addition of salt ions reduced the zeta potential absolute value and weakened the texture and rheological properties of KGM/AMG composite gels. Furthermore, the KGM/AMG composite gels could be classified as non-covalent gels. The non-covalent linkages included hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions. These findings would help understand the properties and formation mechanism of KGM/AMG composite gels and help improve the application value of KGM and AMG.