Oxidation of Molybdenum-Based Single-Metallic/bimetallic Carbide MXenes in Aqueous Suspensions: Mechanistic Insights.

Molybdenum carbide MXenes have garnered considerable attention in electronics, energy storage, and catalysis. However, they are prone to oxidative degradation, but the associated mechanisms have not been systematically explored. Therefore, the oxidation mechanisms of Mo-based single-metallic/bimetallic carbide MXenes including Mo2CTx, Mo2TiC2Tx, and Mo2Ti2C3Tx in aqueous suspensions were investigated for the first time in this study. Similar to Ti3C2Tx MXene, Mo-based MXenes were found to undergo oxidative degradation in their aqueous dispersions, leading to the disruption of their crystal structure and subsequent loss of optical and electronic properties. Notably, the Mo2CTx MXene deviated from this typical oxidation behavior as it produced an amorphous product with Mo ions instead of highly crystalline Mo-oxides during oxidation. Similarly, the Mo2TiC2Tx and Mo2Ti2C3Tx MXenes did not yield crystalline Mo-oxides; instead, they produced highly crystalline anatase TiO2 and a Mo-ion-containing amorphous product simultaneously. Furthermore, high-temperature annealing of the oxidized Mo2CTx MXene powder at 800 °C transformed the amorphous Mo-containing product into highly crystalline MoO2 crystals. These findings highlight the unconventional oxidation behavior of Mo-based MXenes, which suggests that the formation of crystalline Mo-based oxides requires a higher activation energy during oxidation than that of TiO2. The unique oxidative pathway reported herein can help elucidate the oxidation mechanisms of Mo-based MXene dispersions and their products. The insights from this study can pave the way for fundamental studies in academia as well as broaden the applications of Mo-based MXenes in various industries.

Himalayan mountains imposing a barrier on gene flow of wheat yellow rust pathogen in the bordering regions of Pakistan and China.

The wheat yellow rust pathogen has been shown to be diverse and potentially originated in the Himalayan region. Although Himalayan populations of Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan have been previously compared, little is known about the relative divergence and diversity in Puccinia striiformis populations in the bordering regions of Pakistan and China. To assess the relative diversity and divergence in these regions of Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan, Hazara and Azad Jammu Kashmir) and China (Xinjiang, Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan), a total of 1245 samples were genotyped using 17 microsatellite SSR markers. A clear divergence was observed between the bordering regions of Pakistan and China (FST = 0.28) without any resampling of genetic groups and multilocus genotypes across two sides of the Himalayan mountains. The closest subpopulations across the two countries were Xinjiang and Gilgit-Baltistan (Nei's distance = 0.147), which were close geographically. A very high diversity and recombinant population structure was observed in both populations, though slightly higher in China (Genotypic diversity = 0.970; r¯d = 0.000) than in Pakistan (Genotypic diversity = 0.902; r¯d = 0.065). The distribution of genetic groups and resampling of MLGs revealed more gene flow across Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan regions in China, while between Hazara and Azad-Jammu Kashmir in Pakistan. The lack of gene flow between Pakistan and China populations is due to geographical barriers and a large patch of land without wheat. The information on the relative diversity and divergence in different geographical zones of the pathogen center of diversity and neighboring region should be considered in resistant wheat deployment while considering the invasion potential of the pathogen at regional and global contexts.

Combination of enzymatically hydrolyzed potato powder with skimmed milk powder on the quality improvements of yogurt during refrigeration storage.

This study aimed to prepare a stirred type of fat-free yogurt from enzymatically hydrolyzed potato powder (EHPP) and skimmed milk powder (SMP) without changing its quality and consumer acceptance. The yogurt formulations prepared contained different amount of EHPP 0, 10, 25 and 50% and were stored for 28 days at 4 °C and observed that with increasing substitution ratio, acid production was increased while the viability of lactic acid bacteria was decreased after 28 days of storage at 4 °C. The antioxidant activities (2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the yogurt were increased with increasing EHPP over the storage period. The yogurt formulations having 25 to 50% EHPP has the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity and FRAP values. Water holding capacity (WHC) was decreased over the storage period with 25% EHPP. The hardness, adhesiveness and gumminess were decreased while no significant change was found in springiness with EHPP addition over the storage period. The rheological analysis showed an elastic behavior of yogurt gels with EHPP supplementation. The sensory results of yogurt containing 25% EHPP have the highest values of taste and acceptance. Yogurt in combination with EHPP and SMP has the higher levels of WHC than non-supplemented yogurt and better stability was recorded during storage. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05737-9.

Capsaicinoid-Glucosides of Fresh Hot Pepper Promotes Stress Resistance and Longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.

In this study, capsaicin-glucoside and dihydro-capsaicin-glucoside derived from fresh hot-red pepper were isolated and identified using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/PDA. Synchronized worms were treated with capsaicinoid-glucosides (CG), and then lifespan and stress resistance were examined. The 50 µg/ml concentration of CG-intake could effectively protect the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) against stresses factors including oxidation and heat as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby enhancing the survival of CG-treated worms under stress. Enhancing stress resistance in CG-treated worms could be due to the increased expressions of stress-related genes in C. elegans such as daf-16, skn-1 and their downstream target genes (sod-3, hsp-16.2, gst-4 and gcs-1). Lifespan study of different C. elegans strains and RT-PCR showed that the CG-mediated lifespan extension was dependent on DAF-16/FOXO and SKN-1/Nrf2 transcription factors. The study is a step forward in exploring the stress resistance and anti-aging properties of this beneficial extract. Thus, this study will be useful in formulating remedies for stresses factors and age associated disorders.

Health Benefits of Plant-Derived Sulfur Compounds, Glucosinolates, and Organosulfur Compounds.

The broad spectrum of the mechanism of action of immune-boosting natural compounds as well as the complex nature of the food matrices make researching the health benefits of various food products a complicated task. Moreover, many routes are involved in the action of most natural compounds that lead to the inhibition of chronic inflammation, which results in a decrease in the ability to remove a pathogen asymptomatically and is connected to various pathological events, such as cancer. A number of cancers have been associated with inflammatory processes. The current review strives to answer the question of whether plant-derived sulfur compounds could be beneficial in cancer prevention and therapy. This review focuses on the two main sources of natural sulfur compounds: alliaceous and cruciferous vegetables. Through the presentation of scientific data which deal with the study of the chosen compounds in cancer (cell lines, animal models, and human studies), the discussion of food processing's influence on immune-boosting food content is presented. Additionally, it is demonstrated that there is still a need to precisely demonstrate the bioavailability of sulfur-containing compounds from various types of functional food, since the inappropriate preparation of vegetables can significantly reduce the content of beneficial sulfur compounds. Additionally, there is an urgent need to carry out more epidemiological studies to reveal the benefits of several natural compounds in cancer prevention and therapy.

Inactivation and structural changes of polyphenol oxidase in quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) juice subjected to ultrasonic treatment.

BACKGROUND: Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is considered a problem in the food industry because it starts browning reactions during fruit and vegetable processing. Ultrasonic treatment is a technology used to inactivate the enzyme; however, the mechanism behind PPO inactivation is still unclear. For this reason, the inactivation, aggregation, and structural changes in PPO from quince juice subjected to ultrasonic treatments were investigated. Different intensities and times of ultrasonic treatment were used. Changes in the activity, aggregation, conformation, and structure of PPO were investigated through different structural analyses. RESULTS: Compared to untreated juice, the PPO activity in treated juice was reduced to 35% at a high ultrasonic intensity of 400 W for 20 min. The structure of PPO determined from particle size distribution (PSD) analysis showed that ultrasound treatment caused initial dissociation and subsequent aggregation leading to structural modification. The spectra of circular dichroism (CD) analysis of ultrasonic treated PPO protein showed a significant loss of α-helix, and reorganization of secondary structure. Fluorescence analysis showed a significant increase in fluorescence intensity of PPO after ultrasound treatment with evident blue shift, revealing disruption in the tertiary structure. CONCLUSION: In summary, ultrasonic treatment triggered protein aggregation, distortion of tertiary structure, and loss of α-helix conformation of secondary structure causing inactivation of the PPO enzyme. Hence, ultrasound processing at high intensity and duration could cause the inactivation of the PPO enzyme by inducing aggregation and structural modifications. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparison of ruminal digestibility of Origanum onites L. leaves in dairy buffalo and cows.

This experiment evaluated the ruminal digestibility of Turkish oregano leaves in dairy buffalo and cows. Ruminally cannulated, multiparous Brown Swiss cows (n = 3) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis; n = 3) were used in the experiment. The ad libitum basal diet was balanced to NRC requirements for a dry, nonpregnant multiparous dairy cow (680 kg) and consuming 12.8 kg of DM/day. Air-dried, ground, weighed oregano leaves were inserted in the rumen of all animals before the morning feeding within heat-sealed nylon bags (4 replicates per treatment and time point). After incubation (4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 h), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), aNDFom, and ADFom concentrations were determined and compared to initial leaf chemical composition. The means for in situ disappearance (ISD, %) of DM, aNDFom, and ADFom did not differ between the species, but ISD of CP was greater in buffalo than the cows (P = 0.05) after 72 h incubation. The lag time of kinetic degradation curves, the potentially degradable fraction (b), hourly degradation rate (c), and undegradable fraction were similar between species. The immediately degraded fraction (a) and effective digestibility (ED) of CP were greater in buffalo than the cows (P = 0.04), but the a fraction and ED of other nutrients showed no differences between the species. In conclusion, CP of oregano leaves are degraded more rapidly in the rumen of dairy buffalo than cows, primarily due to a large difference in the rapidly soluble CP fraction in the buffalo.

Green Chemistry Extractions of Carotenoids from Daucus carota L.-Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Enzyme-Assisted Methods.

Multiple reviews have been published on various aspects of carotenoid extraction. Nevertheless, none of them focused on the discussion of recent green chemistry extraction protocols, especially for the carotenoids extraction from Daucus carota L. This group of bioactive compounds has been chosen for this review since most of the scientific papers proved their antioxidant properties relevant for inflammation, stress-related disorders, cancer, or neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, such as stroke and Alzheimer's Disease. Besides, carrots constitute one of the most popular sources of carotenoids. In the presented review emphasis has been placed on the supercritical carbon dioxide and enzyme-assisted extraction techniques for the relevant tetraterpenoids. The detailed descriptions of these methods, as well as practical examples, are provided. In addition, the pros and cons of each method and comparison with the standard solvent extraction have been discussed.

Ultrasonic Processing Induced Activity and Structural Changes of Polyphenol Oxidase in Orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck).

Apart from non-enzymatic browning, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) also plays a role in the browning reaction of orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) juice, and needs to be inactivated during the processing. In this study, the protein with high PPO activity was purified from orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) and inactivated by ultrasonic processing. Fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) and Dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to investigate the ultrasonic effect on PPO activity and structural changes on purified PPO. DLS analysis illustrated that ultrasonic processing leads to initial dissociation and final aggregation of the protein. Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis showed the decrease in fluorescence intensity leading to the exposure of Trp residues to the polar environment, thereby causing the disruption of the tertiary structure after ultrasonic processing. Loss of α-helix conformation leading to the reorganization of secondary structure was triggered after the ultrasonic processing, according to CD analysis. Ultrasonic processing could induce aggregation and modification in the tertiary and secondary structure of a protein containing high PPO activity in orange (Citrus sinensis Osbeck), thereby causing inactivation of the enzyme.

Inactivation, Aggregation and Conformational Changes of Polyphenol Oxidase from Quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller) Juice Subjected to Thermal and High-Pressure Carbon Dioxide Treatment.

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) causes the browning reaction in fruits and vegetables and deteriorates the quality. Thermal treatment for enzyme inactivation may result in defects as opposed to high pressure CO2 (HPCD) processing. In this study, the changes in activity, dissociation, aggregation and conformation of purified PPO from thermal and HPCD treated juice were investigated. HPCD exhibited inactivation of PPO at 55⁻65 °C whereas thermal processing alone at the same temperature resulted in PPO still showing activity. Under thermal treatment at 25 and 65 °C, the browning degree was higher (0.39 and 0.24) than for HPCD-treated juice (0.23 and 0.12). Fluorescence and circular dichroism spectral results indicated that HPCD induced large decreases in intensities, revealing a rearrangement of the secondary structure and destruction of the native configuration of the PPO molecule. The particle size distribution (PSD) pattern revealed structural modification leading to initial dissociation and subsequent aggregation of PPO after HPCD treatment. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) analysis exhibited that molecular size of protein was 40 kDa. In conclusion, the HPCD method was found to be more effective than thermal treatment to inactivate PPO. Structural modifications provided better insights into the phenomena of activation and inactivation of PPO.

Tailoring Built-In Electric Field in a Self-Assembled Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework/MXene Nanocomposites for Microwave Absorption.

Heterointerface engineering, which plays a pivotal role in developing advanced microwave-absorbing materials, is employed to design zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-MXene nanocomposites. The ZIF-MXene composites are prepared by electrostatic self-assembly of negatively charged titanium carbide MXene flakes and positively charged Co-containing ZIF nanomaterials. This approach effectively creates abundant Mott-Schottky heterointerfaces exhibiting a robust built-in electric field (BIEF) effect, as evidenced by experimental and theoretical analyses, leading to a notable attenuation of electromagnetic energy. Systematic manipulation of the BIEF-exhibiting heterointerface, achieved through topological modulation of the ZIF, proficiently alters charge separation, facilitates electron migration, and ultimately enhances polarization relaxation loss, resulting in exceptional electromagnetic wave absorption performance (reflection loss RLmin = -47.35 dB and effective absorption bandwidth fE = 6.32 GHz). The present study demonstrates an innovative model system for elucidating the interfacial polarization mechanisms and pioneers a novel approach to developing functional materials with electromagnetic characteristics through spatial charge engineering.

Multifunctional MXene/Carbon Nanotube Janus Film for Electromagnetic Shielding and Infrared Shielding/Detection in Harsh Environments.

Multifunctional, flexible, and robust thin films capable of operating in demanding harsh temperature environments are crucial for various cutting-edge applications. This study presents a multifunctional Janus film integrating highly-crystalline Ti3C2Tx MXene and mechanically-robust carbon nanotube (CNT) film through strong hydrogen bonding. The hybrid film not only exhibits high electrical conductivity (4250 S cm-1), but also demonstrates robust mechanical strength and durability in both extremely low and high temperature environments, showing exceptional resistance to thermal shock. This hybrid Janus film of 15 µm thickness reveals remarkable multifunctionality, including efficient electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 72 dB in X band frequency range, excellent infrared (IR) shielding capability with an average emissivity of 0.09 (a minimal value of 0.02), superior thermal camouflage performance over a wide temperature range (- 1 to 300 °C) achieving a notable reduction in the radiated temperature by 243 °C against a background temperature of 300 °C, and outstanding IR detection capability characterized by a 44% increase in resistance when exposed to 250 W IR radiation. This multifunctional MXene/CNT Janus film offers a feasible solution for electromagnetic shielding and IR shielding/detection under challenging conditions.

In vitro evaluation of herbal based Lesh Nat B cream against Leishmania tropica.

Pentavalent antimonials continue to be the standard treatment for cutaneous leishmaniasis. But their use is retarded owing to highly-priced, prolonged hospitalization, noxious and poor solubility. Therefore, there is a dire need to characterize new potential compounds possessing anti-leishmanial activity. Topical therapies that are more successful are an essential alternative therapeutic option for the localized self-limiting form of this disease. We tested the herbal-based topical cream Lesh Nat B against Leishmania tropica KWH23 promastigotes and axenic amastigotes in vitro. The anti-leishmanial activity of Lesh Nat B cream was evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against promastigotes and axenic amastigotes. The results of Lesh Nat B cream were concentration and incubation time-dependent. After 72 h of incubation, Lesh Nat B cream efficiently suppresses the promastigote form of the parasite, followed by 48 h and 24 h. At 72 h, the lowest and highest levels of activity were 37% and 90%. Amastigotes had a minimum activity of 34% and a maximum activity of 78.5%, respectively. This formulation was more cytotoxic against promastigote form than amastigotes form at 72 h incubation periods. All the experiments were carried out in triplicates. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined to be (66 ug/ml) and (70 ug/ml) against promastigote and amastigote forms, respectively. Moreover, 1.63% hemolytic activity was observed in Lesh Nat B cream at (10 µg/ml) while 3% hemolytic activity was observed at (37 µg/ml). It can be concluded that Lesh Nat B cream demonstrated effective Leishmanicidal and less hemolytic activity and can be used as an alternative therapeutic option for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis; however, more studies are expected to justify its effectiveness in treating cutaneous leishmaniasis in both humans and animals.

Browning inhibition in fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut under high pressure CO2 treatment: Regulation of reactive oxygen species and membrane lipid metabolism.

Fresh-cut Chinese water chestnut (CWC) was treated with high pressure CO2 (HPCD) to inhibit the browning reactions, and the underlying mechanism was investigated in this study. Results showed that HPCD at 2 MPa pressure significantly inhibited lipoxygenase activity and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity, leading to decreased malondialdehyde and H2O2 contents in surface tissue. Moreover, HPCD could reduce total phenols/flavonoids content of surface tissue. Compare with control, homoeriodictyol, hesperetin, and isorhamnetin contents of 2 MPa HPCD-treated samples on day 10 were reduced by 95.72%, 94.31%, and 94.02%, respectively. Furthermore, HPCD treatment enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and improved the O2- scavenging ability and reducing power of inner tissue. In conclusion, by regulating ROS and membrane lipid metabolism, HPCD treatment with appropriate pressure could retard the biosynthesis of flavonoids and enzymatic oxidation of phenolic compounds in surface tissue, and enhance antioxidant activity of inner tissue, thereby, delaying the quality deterioration of fresh-cut CWC.

Effect of Substitutional Oxygen on Properties of Ti3 C2 Tx MXene Produced Using Recycled TiO2 Source.

MXenes are an emerging class of 2D materials with unique properties including metallic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and surface tunability, which ensure their utility for diverse applications. However, the synthesis of MXenes with high crystallinity and atomic stoichiometry in a low-cost process is still challenging because of the difficulty in controlling the oxygen substitute in the precursors and final products of MXenes, which limits their academic understanding and practical applications. Here, a novel cost-effective method is reported to synthesize a highly crystalline and stoichiometric Ti3 C2 Tx MXene with minimum substitutional oxygen impurities by controlling the amount of excess carbon and time of high-energy milling in carbothermal reduction of recycled TiO2 source. The highest used content (2 wt%) of excess-carbon yields TiC with the highest carbon content and minimal oxygen substitutes, which leads to the Ti3 AlC2 MAX phase with improved crystallinity and atomic stoichiometry, and finally Ti3 C2 Tx MXene with the highest electrical conductivity (11738 S cm-1 ) and superior electromagnetic shielding effectiveness. Additionally, the effects of carbon content and substitutional oxygen on the physical properties of TiC and Ti3 AlC2 are elucidated by density-functional-theory calculations. This inexpensive TiO2 -based method of synthesizing high-quality Ti3 C2 Tx MXene can facilitate large-scale production and thus accelerate global research on MXenes.

Field response and molecular screening of European wheat germplasm against powdery mildew at the Himalayan region of Pakistan.

Wheat powdery mildew possesses a significant threat to wheat crops not only on a global scale but also in the northern region of Pakistan. Recognizing the need for effective measures, the exploration and utilization of exotic germplasm take on critical importance. To address this, a series of trials were made to investigate the response of 30 European (EU) lines, in addition to the local checks (Siran, Atta-Habib (AH) and Ghanimat-e-IBGE) against wheat powdery mildew at the Himalayan region of Pakistan. The study involved field testing from 2018 to 2022 across multiple locations, resulting in 38 different environments (location × year). In addition to field evaluations, molecular genotyping was also performed. The disease was absent on the tested lines during 2018, 2019, and 2020 whereas it ranged from 0 to 100% at Chitral location during 2021, where 100% was observed only for one EU wheat line "Matrix." The disease prevailed only at Gilgit location (0-60% for EU wheat line "F236") and at Nagar location (0-10% for EU wheat lines Substance and Nelson) during the disease season of 2022. Most of the EU wheat lines showed very low ACI values, due to an overall low disease pressure. Matrix showed the maximum ACI (1.54) followed by Ritter (1.25) and Bli_autrichion (0.87), whereas the minimum (0.1) was for Substance, JB_Asano, and KWS_Loft followed by Canon (0.19), all exhibiting partial resistance. The molecular marker-based screening revealed that Pm38 was the most prevalent and detected in 100% of wheat lines followed by Pm39 (60%) and Pm8 (30%). Six wheat lines (20%) possessed all three Pm genes (Pm8, Pm38, and Pm39) concurrently. The variability observed in this study can be utilized in future breeding efforts aimed at developing resistant wheat varieties.

Recovery of critical metals from leach solution of electronic waste using magnetite electrospun carbon nanofibres composite.

Scarcity in mining and geo-political direction diverts attention toward critical metal recycling. Gallium (Ga), indium (In) and germanium (Ge) are among the critical metals that consume approximately 80% of world mining in the innovative production of electrical and electronic equipment. The fast obsolescing rate generates a large amount of electronic waste, which is now seen as a secondary reservoir for critical metals. These metal resources need to be dealt with with effective recycling capabilities. Based on solid-phase extraction, magnetic nano-hydrometallurgy is opening a new area of metallic contents recovery in conventional hydrometallurgy. In the present work, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based electrospun nanofibres were synthesized and carbonized at 800 °C in an inert environment. After surface oxidation, carbon nanofibres were decorated with magnetite particles through co-precipitation. The saturation magnetization value (Ms = 23.6 emu/g) confirms high loading of magnetite particles. The selected critical metal ions are freely present in an aqueous solution at pH 1 to 3; thus, highest removal efficiency was observed at pH 2. Pseudo-second-order kinetics confirm the chemical/charge interaction between sorbent and sorbate ions. Maximum sorption capacity calculated through Langmuir isotherm was 226, 191 and 171 mg/g for Ge(IV), Ga(III) and In(III) metal ions, respectively. The RL value (0 < RL < 1) indicates favourable sorption process. The sorbed target metal ions were collectively eluted using 1 mol/L hydrochloric acid. The preconcentration factor was calculated at 1080 for Ge(IV) and In(III) while 1260 for Ga(III). The method was validated with 5 µg/mL spiked multi-element standards and applied to multiple acid-leached electronic waste samples like PCBs, waste LCD panels and solar panels. Recoveries in the range of 96.2% for Ga(III), 95.6% for In(III) and 97.4% for Ge(IV) in the presence of diverse ions indicate the suitability of the proposed method for target metal ions even in a complex matrix.

Apigenin glycosides from green pepper enhance longevity and stress resistance in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Peppers are a rich source of bioactive compounds with several health benefits. However, most of the knowledge about these benefits has been obtained through in vitro studies, and less is known about their in vivo health-promoting and stress resistance effects. Therefore, we hypothesized that the intake of apigenin glycosides (XAp-G) from Xiaomila green pepper (Capsicum frutescens) could protect against stress factors and promote longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans. Synchronized worms were treated with XAp-G and the lifespan and stress resistance were examined. XAp-G treatment strongly enhanced the average lifespan of worms by 23.9% compared with control by reducing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectometry analysis showed that Xiaomila pepper (polyamide fraction) contained significant amount of flavone glycosides with m/z 563.14 (apigenin glycosides). Green fluorescent protein fluorescence and real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that XAp-G-treatment could regulate the expression of anti-aging related genes, including daf-2, daf-16, sod-3, hsp-16.2, skn-1, gst-4, gcs-1, jnk-1, and sir-2.1 in C elegans, thereby promoting the translocation of DAF-16 and SKN-1 into the nucleus. However, it could not extend the lifespan of daf-16, skn-1, and sir-2.1 knocked-down mutants. XAp-G treatment significantly reduced ROS under normal and stress conditions (juglone, hydrogen peroxide), and thereby promotes longevity of C elegans via the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway.

Texture Regulation of Metal-Organic Frameworks, Microwave Absorption Mechanism-Oriented Structural Optimization and Design Perspectives.

Texture regulation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is essential for controlling their electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption properties. This review systematically summarizes the recent advancements in texture regulation strategies for MOFs, including etching and exchange of central ions, etching and exchange of ligands, chemically induced self-assembly, and MOF-on-MOF heterostructure design. Additionally, the EMW absorption mechanisms in approaches based on structure-function dependencies, including nano-micro topological engineering, defect engineering, interface engineering, and hybrid engineering, are comprehensively explored. Finally, current challenges and future research orientation are proposed. This review aims to provide new perspectives for designing MOF-derived EMW-absorption materials to achieve essential breakthroughs in mechanistic investigations in this promising field.

Eugenol treatment delays the flesh browning of fresh-cut water chestnut (Eleocharis tuberosa) through regulating the metabolisms of phenolics and reactive oxygen species.

The potential mechanism behind the browning inhibition in fresh-cut water chestnuts (FWC) after eugenol (EUG) treatment was investigated by comparing the difference in browning behavior between surface and inner tissues. EUG treatment was found to inactivate browning-related enzymes and reduce phenolic contents in surface tissue. Molecular docking further confirmed the hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding between EUG and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). Moreover, EUG also enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzyme activities, ultimately decreasing the O2 - generation rates. Regarding inner tissue, EUG induced the accumulation of colorless phenolic compounds and increased the antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, 1.5 % EUG exhibited the best inhibitory effect on FWC browning, which partly attribute to the direct inhibitory effects on PAL activity. Furthermore, EUG could also enhance the enzymatic/non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity and alleviate the ROS damage to membranes, thereby, preventing the contact between oxidative enzymes and phenols and indirectly inhibiting the enzymatic browning in FWC.