Preparation, pungency and bioactivity transduction of piperine from black pepper (Piper nigrum L.): A comprehensive review.

Piperine, derived from black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), is responsible for the pungent sensation. The diverse bioactivities of piperine underscores its promising potential as a functional food ingredient. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the research progress in extraction, synthesis, pungency transduction mechanism and bioactivities of piperine. Piperine can be extracted through various methods, such as traditional, modern, and innovative extraction techniques. Its synthesis mainly included both chemical and biosynthetic approaches. It exhibits a diverse range of bioactivities, including anticancer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-obesity, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and cardiovascular protective activities. Piperine can bind to TRPV1 receptor to elicit pungent sensation. Overall, the present review can provide a theoretical reference for advancing the potential application of piperine in the field of food science.

Zein-Derived Peptides from Corn Promote the Proliferation of C2C12 Myoblasts via Crosstalk of mTORC1 and mTORC2 Signaling Pathways.

Dietary protein supplementation has emerged as a promising strategy in combating sarcopenia. Furthermore, searching for alternatives of animal proteins has been a hot topic. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of zein peptides on C2C12 myoblasts and explore their potential molecular mechanisms. The proliferative, cell cycle, and anti-apoptotic activities of zein peptides were evaluated. Peptidomics analysis and transcriptome sequencing were employed to explore the structure-activity relationship and underlying molecular mechanisms. The results indicated that zein peptides (0.05-0.2 mg/mL) exerted a significant proliferation-promoting impact on C2C12 cells, via increasing cell viability by 33.37 to 42.39%. Furthermore, zein peptides significantly increased S phase proportion and decreased the apoptosis rate from 34.08% (model group) to 28.96% in C2C12 cells. In addition, zein peptides exhibited a pronounced anti-apoptotic effect on C2C12 cells. Zein peptides are abundant in branch-chain amino acids, especially leucine. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that zein peptides can promote proliferation, accelerate cell cycle, and improve protein synthesis of muscle cells through mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling pathways.

An optimized DCO with modified binary-weighted DCTLs based hybrid tuning banks for an E-band DPLL.

An optimized millimeter-wave digital controlled oscillator (DCO) in a 40-nm CMOS process is presented in this work. The coarse-tuning modules and medium-tuning modules of the DCO utilize modified binary-weighted digitally controlled transmission lines (DCTLs) to achieve a better compromise among smaller chip size, higher resonant frequency, better tuning resolution and lower phase noise. The tuning precision and die size of the medium tuning bank are improved without changing the binary coding rules by replacing the lowest-weight bit of the DCTLs with switched capacitors. In comparison with traditional DCTLs, the control bits of the coarse and medium tuning modules have been changed from 30 to 8, resulting in a 34.4% reduction in overall length (from 122[Formula: see text]m to 80[Formula: see text]m). In addition, the DCO's fine-tuning modules are achieved using a binary-weighted switched capacitors array connected to the secondary winding of a low-coupling transformer, which enhances the DCO's fine-tuning bank for better frequency resolution with less circuit complexity. The measured tuning range of the optimized DCO is 76-81GHz with a smaller die size of 0.12mm[Formula: see text]. This results in an outstanding figure of merit ([Formula: see text]) of - 190.52dBc/Hz.

Tungsten-based polyoxometalate nanoclusters with remarkable reactive oxygen species-scavenging activity efficiently quenched luminol-based electrochemiluminescence for sensitive detection of Her-2.

This study aimed to develop a quenching-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunosensor for human epidermal growth factor receptor (Her-2) detection. Firstly, Pd/NiFeOx nanoflowers decorated by in situ formation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and 2D Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets were synthesized (AuPd/NiFeOx/Ti3C2) as carriers to load luminol and primary antibodies. Impressively, AuPd/NiFeOx/Ti3C2 with excellent peroxidase-like activity could accelerate the decomposition of the coreactant H2O2 generating more reactive oxygen species (ROSs) under the working potential from 0 to 0.8 V, resulting in highly efficient ECL emission at 435-nm wavelengths. The introduction of tungsten-based polyoxometalate nanoclusters (W-POM NCs) which exhibit remarkable ROSs-scavenging activity as secondary antibody labels could improve the sensitivity of immunosensors. The ZnO nanoflowers were employed to encapsulate minute-sized W-POM NCs, and polydopamine was self-polymerized on the surface of Zn(W-POM)O to anchor secondary antibodies. The mechanism of the quenching strategy was explored and it was found that W-POM NCs could consume ROSs by the redox reaction of W5+ resulting in W6+. The proposed ECL immunosensor displayed a wide linear response range of 0.1 pg·mL-1 to 50 ng·mL-1, and a low detection limit of 0.036 pg mL-1 (S/N = 3). The recoveries ranged from 93.9 to 99.4%, and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was lower than 10%. This finding is promising for the design of detecting new protein biomarkers.

Orthodontic appliances for the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

This systematic review and network meta-analysis aims to preliminarily investigate the efficacy of different orthodontic appliances for the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Electronic databases were systematically searched. Randomized and non-randomized controlled trials with patients <18 y treated with either mandibular advancement appliance (MAA), rapid maxillary expansion (RME), or myofunctional therapy (MFT) were included. A network meta-analysis using multivariate random effects was conducted to estimate pooled differences using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) as the main outcome. Eleven studies (595 patients) were included in the analysis. Compared with control, MAA was associated with significant reductions in AHI of -2.18/h (95%CI -3.48 to -0.89, p = 0.001). Combined treatment of RME + adenotonsillectomy (AT) and RME + MAA showed a significant decrease in AHI, with -5.13/h (95%CI -7.50 to -2.76, p < 0.0001) and -3.79 (95%CI -5.21 to -2.37, p < 0.0001), respectively. MFT was associated with a -2.45/h (95%CI -4.76 to -0.14, p = 0.038) decrease in AHI. However, RME alone was not associated with significant AHI reduction (0.02, 95%CI -1.72 to 1.75, p = 0.985). The heterogeneity of the network meta-analysis was I2 = 32.6%. Limited evidence indicated that MAA (alone or combined with RME) and RME + AT were associated with benefits for pediatric patients with OSA. This study could not find convincing evidence of a significant benefit of other orthodontic appliances over control.

Sweet Taste Receptors and Associated Sweet Peptides: Insights into Structure and Function.

Long-term consumption of a high-sugar diet may contribute to the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sweet peptides derived from a wide range of food sources can enhance sweet taste without compromising the sensory properties. Therefore, the research and application of sweet peptides are promising strategies for reducing sugar consumption. This work first outlined the necessity for global sugar reduction, followed by the introduction of sweet taste receptors and their associated transduction mechanisms. Subsequently, recent research progress in sweet peptides from different protein sources was summarized. Furthermore, the main methods for the preparation and evaluation of sweet peptides were presented. In addition, the current challenges and potential applications are also discussed. Sweet peptides can stimulate sweetness perception by binding sweet taste receptors T1R2 and T1R3 in taste buds, which is an effective strategy for reducing sugar consumption. At present, sweet peptides are mainly prepared artificially by synthesis, hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, and bioengineering strategies. Furthermore, sensory evaluation, electronic tongues, and cell models have been used to assess the sweet taste intensity. The present review can provide a theoretical reference for reducing sugar consumption with the aid of sweet peptides in the food industry.

Glucose Oxidase Driven Hydrogen Sulfide-Releasing Nanocascade for Diabetic Infection Treatment.

Diabetic ulcers have received much attention in recent years due to their high incidence and mortality, motivating the scientific community to develop various strategies for such chronic disease treatments. However, the therapeutic outcome of these approaches is highly compromised by invasive bacteria and a severe inflammatory microenvironment. To overcome these dilemmas, microenvironment-responsive self-delivery glucose oxidase@manganese sulfide (GOx@MnS) nanoparticles (NPs) are developed by one-step biomineralization. When they encounter the high glucose level in the ulcer site, GOx particles catalyze glucose to decrease the local pH and trigger the steady release of both manganese ions (Mn2+) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Mn2+ reacts with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydroxyl radicals for the elimination of bacterial infection; meanwhile, H2S is able to suppress the inflammatory response and accelerate diabetic wound healing through macrophage polarization. The excellent biocompatibility, strong bactericidal activity, and considerable immunomodulatory effect promise GOx@MnS NPs have great therapeutic potential for diabetic wound treatment.

Preparation of the self-accelerating photocatalytic self-cleaning carboxymethyl cellulose sodium-based hydrogel for removing cationic dyes.

Hydrogels loaded with photocatalysts have shown great potential in effectively degrading dye wastewater. In this work, carboxymethyl cellulose sodium-based hydrogels loaded with nitrogen-doped graphene oxide-zinc oxide-zinc peroxide (NGO-ZnO-ZnO2) were synthesized using hydrothermal reaction and in-situ synthesis method. NGO acts as an electron mediator, suppressing the recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes. ZnO2 decomposes to generate hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), promoting a self-enhanced photocatalytic reaction. Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) acts as a dispersant, improving the uniformity and stability of NGO-ZnO-ZnO2 within the hydrogel. The results demonstrate that NGO-ZnO-ZnO2 exhibits high photocatalytic degradation efficiency towards methyl orange (MO) (10 mg/L) and rhodamine B (RhB) (50 mg/L), with degradation rates of 99.99 % (200 min) and 99.26 % (160 min), respectively. The carboxymethyl cellulose sodium-based hydrogel achieves a photocatalytic degradation rate of 95.85 % (220 min) for RhB (10 mg/L). After 5 cycles of repeated photocatalytic tests, the degradation efficiency of the hydrogel towards RhB reaches 80.81 %. This work provides a low-cost and convenient method for constructing novel hydrogel carriers with high photocatalytic stability and efficiency.

Toward the high-efficient utilization of poultry blood: Insights into functionality, bioactivity and functional components.

A large amount of poultry blood is annually generated, and currently underutilized or largely disposed of as waste, resulting in environmental pollution and waste of protein resources. As one of the main by-products during the poultry slaughter process, the produced poultry blood can serve as a promising food ingredient due to its excellent functional properties and abundant source of essential amino acids, bioactive peptides and functional components. This work provides a comprehensive summary of recent research progress in the composition, functional and bioactive properties, as well as the functional components of poultry blood. Furthermore, the main preparation methods of poultry blood-derived peptides and their bioactivities were reviewed. In addition, their potential applications in the food industry were discussed. Overall, poultry blood is characterized by excellent functionalities, including solubility, gelation, foaming, and emulsifying properties. The major preparation methods for poultry blood-derived peptides include enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrasound-assisted enzymatic methods, macroporous adsorbent resins, and subcritical water hydrolysis. Poultry blood-derived peptides exhibit diverse bioactivities. Their metallic off-flavors and bitterness can be improved by exopeptidase treatment, Maillard reaction, and plastein reaction. In addition, poultry blood is also abundant in functional components such as hemoglobin, superoxide dismutase, immunoglobulin, and thrombin.

[Electroacupuncture regulates glucose metabolism disorder through PI3K/Akt/GSK3ß signaling pathway in rats with depression].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST36) on improving glucose metabolism disorder in chronic restraint induced depressed rats. METHODS: A total of 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model and EA groups, with 10 rats in each group. The depression model was established by chronic restraint 2.5 h each day for 4 weeks. For rats in the EA group, EA stimulation (1 mA, 2 Hz, 30 min) was applied to bilateral ST36 during the modeling period, once a day for 4 weeks. The body weight of the rats was recorded before and after modeling. The behavior of rats was observed by sugar-water preference and forced swimming after modeling. The contents of glucose and glycosylated albumin in serum were determined by biochemical method. The histopathological morphology and liver glycogen content were observed by HE and PAS staining. The expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated (p)-PI3K (p-PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), p-Akt, glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK3ß) and p-GSK3ß proteins in liver were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the weight increment and sugar-water preference index decreased (P<0.01), the immobile swimming time was prolonged (P<0.01), the glucose and glycosylated albumin contents in serum increased (P<0.05), the expression of p-Akt protein and the ratio of p-Akt/Akt in liver tissues decreased (P<0.001), the expression of p-GSK3ß protein and the ratio of p-GSK3ß/GSK3ß in liver tissues increased (P<0.01,P<0.001) in the model group. Compared with the model group, the weight increment and sugar-water preference index increased (P<0.05), the immobile swimming time was shortened (P<0.05), the glucose and glycosylated albumin contents in serum decreased (P<0.05), the expressions of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins and the ratio of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt in liver tissues increased (P<0.05), the expression of p-GSK3ß protein and the ratio of p-GSK3ß/GSK3ß in liver tissues decreased (P<0.01) in the EA group. HE staining showed that the structure of the hepatic lobule was intact, no obvious inflammatory cell infiltration or fibrosis was observed in the lobule and interstitium, and no abnormalities were observed in the small bile duct, portal vein and artery in the portal area. PAS staining showed that the intensity of staining from the center of the hepatic lobule to the periphery of the hepatic lobule was gradually enhanced in the blank group, that is, the glycogen-rich granules in the hepatic cells were gradually increased; most of the hepatocytes were light colored and glycogen was lost significantly in the model group; while the intensity of hepatocyte staining increased, the staining intensity of the perilobular zone was weaker than that in the blank group, and the glycogen particles partially recovered in the EA group. CONCLUSION: EA intervention can regulate glucose metabolism disorder in chronic restraint induced depressed rats through PI3K/Akt/GSK3ß signaling pathway.

Potential of Food Protein-Derived Bioactive Peptides against Sarcopenia: A Comprehensive Review.

Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive muscle disorder characterized by accelerated loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, which are important causes of physiological dysfunctions in the elderly. At present, the main alleviating method includes protein supplements to stimulate synthesis of muscle proteins. Food protein-derived peptides containing abundant branched-chain amino acids have a remarkable effect on the improvement of sarcopenia. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanism and clarifying the structure-activity relationship is essential for the mitigation of sarcopenia. This present review recaps the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of sarcopenia, which facilitates a comprehensive understanding of sarcopenia. Moreover, the latest research progress on food-derived antisarcopenic peptides is reviewed, including their antisarcopenic activity, molecular mechanism as well as structural characteristics. Food-derived bioactive peptides can indeed alleviate/mitigate sarcopenia. These antisarcopenic peptides play a pivotal role mainly by activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK pathways and inhibiting the ubiquitin-proteasome system and AMPK pathway, thus promoting the synthesis of muscle proteins and inhibiting their degradation. Antisarcopenic peptides alleviate sarcopenia via specific peptides, which may be absorbed into the circulation and exhibit their bioactivity in intact forms. The present review provides a theoretical reference for mitigation and prevention of sarcopenia by food protein-derived bioactive peptides.

The role of smoking in explaining racial/ethnic disparities in bladder cancer incidence in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking is the most important modifiable risk factor for bladder cancer (BC), with the odds of developing BC among current and former smokers 3 times higher than never-smokers. We hypothesized that the observed disparities in BC incidence may be partially attributable to differences in smoking prevalence. We examined the attributable risk of BC related to smoking according to race/ethnicity and sex. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used data from SEER and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate BC cases that would have been prevented if current and former smokers had never smoked to calculate the Population Attributable Fractions, stratified by sex and race/ethnicity. SDs of BC incidences across racial/ethnic groups before and after smoking elimination were calculated to estimate disparities. RESULTS: A total of 25,747 cases of BC were analyzed from 21 registries in 2018. By removing smoking, 10,176 cases (40%) would have been eliminated. Smoking was associated with a higher proportion of BC cases among males (42%) than females (36%). Across racial/ethnic groups, smoking contributed to the highest proportion of BC cases among American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) (43%) and Whites (36%) for females, and highest among AI/ANs (47%) and Blacks (44%) for males. Removing smoking, the SD of BC incidence across racial/ethnic groups was reduced for females (39%) and males (44%). CONCLUSION: Approximately 40% of cases of BC in the United States are attributable to smoking, with the highest proportion in AI/ANs for both males and females, and the lowest in Hispanics for females and Asians and Pacific Islanders for males. Smoking contributes to almost half of racial/ethnic disparities in BC incidence in the United States. Accordingly, health policy to encourage smoking cessation among racial-ethnic minorities may substantially reduce inequalities in BC incidence.

Genetic Predictors for Fecal Propionate and Butyrate-Producing Microbiome Pathway Are Not Associated with Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mechanistic data indicate the benefit of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) produced by gut microbial fermentation of fiber on colorectal cancer, but direct epidemiologic evidence is limited. A recent study identified SNPs for two SCFA traits (fecal propionate and butyrate-producing microbiome pathway PWY-5022) in Europeans and showed metabolic benefits. METHODS: We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis of the genetic instruments for the two SCFA traits (three SNPs for fecal propionate and nine for PWY-5022) in relation to colorectal cancer risk in three large European genetic consortia of 58,131 colorectal cancer cases and 67,347 controls. We estimated the risk of overall colorectal cancer and conducted subgroup analyses by sex, age, and anatomic subsites of colorectal cancer. RESULTS: We did not observe strong evidence for an association of the genetic predictors for fecal propionate levels and the abundance of PWY-5022 with the risk of overall colorectal cancer, colorectal cancer by sex, or early-onset colorectal cancer (diagnosed at <50 years), with no evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy. When assessed by tumor subsites, we found weak evidence for an association between PWY-5022 and risk of rectal cancer (OR per 1-SD, 0.95; 95% confidence intervals, 0.91-0.99; P = 0.03) but it did not surpass multiple testing of subgroup analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic instruments for fecal propionate levels and the abundance of PWY-5022 were not associated with colorectal cancer risk. IMPACT: Fecal propionate and PWY-5022 may not have a substantial influence on colorectal cancer risk. Future research is warranted to comprehensively investigate the effects of SCFA-producing bacteria and SCFAs on colorectal cancer risk.

Enzymatic synthesis of vitexin glycosides and their activity.

Vitexin is an active component of many traditional chinese medicines, and is found in various plants. The low solubility of vitexin limits its pharmaceutical usage. In this study, solvent-stable ß-fructosidase was used to glycosylate vitexin in organic solvents. The ß-fructosidase showed high activity and stability in 30-80% (v/v) ethyl acetate with 90-99% yields of vitexin glycosides. Highly efficient synthesis of ß-d-fructofuranosyl-(2→6)-vitexin (1.04 g L-1) and ß-d-difructofuranosyl-(2→6)-vitexin (0.45 g L-1) was attained in 50% (v/v) ethyl acetate solvent system from 1.5 g L-1 vitexin. Two novel vitexin glycosides showed higher anti-tumor activities compared to that of vitexin by employing a human breast cancer cytotoxicity assay.

Preparation, pungency and bioactivity of gingerols from ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): a review.

Ginger has been widely used for different purposes, such as condiment, functional food, drugs, and cosmetics. Gingerols, the main pungent component in ginger, possess a variety of bioactivities. To fully understand the significance of gingerols in the food and pharmaceutical industry, this paper first recaps the composition and physiochemical properties of gingerols, and the major extraction and synthesis methods. Furthermore, the pungency and bioactivity of gingerols are reviewed. In addition, the food application of gingerols and future perspectives are discussed. Gingerols, characterized by a 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl moiety, are divided into gingerols, shogaols, paradols, zingerone, gingerdiones and gingerdiols. At present, gingerols are extracted by conventional, innovative, and integrated extraction methods, and synthesized by chemical, biological and in vitro cell synthesis methods. Gingerols can activate transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and induce signal transduction, thereby exhibiting its pungent properties and bioactivity. By targeted mediation of various cell signaling pathways, gingerols display potential anticancer, antibacterial, blood glucose regulatory, hepato- and renal-protective, gastrointestinal regulatory, nerve regulatory, and cardiovascular protective effects. This review contributes to the application of gingerols as functional ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

SIRT1/FOXO1 Axis-Mediated Hippocampal Angiogenesis is Involved in the Antidepressant Effect of Chaihu Shugan San.

Objective: Chaihu Shugan San (CSS) has a long history for treating major depressive disorder (MDD), which has been verified effectively and safely in clinical studies. Deficient angiogenesis plays important roles in MDD. However, the underlying mechanisms of CSS on angiogenesis remain poorly understood. Methods: Network pharmacology analysis was applied to explore the potential angiogenic targets and pathways between CSS and MDD. These targets would be validated in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressive-like mice by Western blots, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Then, the underlying molecular mechanisms were further investigated in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) with CSS-containing serum by Western blots and immunofluorescence. Results: Network pharmacology analysis showed that the antidepressant role of CSS was closely associated with Silent information regulator protein 1 (SIRT1)/Forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) axis-mediated angiogenesis. This prediction was confirmed in the following experiments. CSS induced angiogenesis, increased SIRT1 expression, and decreased FOXO1 expression in the hippocampus of CUMS mice. Five percent CSS-containing serum produced a significant increase in BMVECs proliferation, migration, and tube formation, but these effects were reduced by SIRT1 silencing. CSS serum could also promote FOXO1 translocation to the cytoplasm through SIRT1 signaling, which triggered FOXO1 protein degradation. What is more, CSS upregulated VEGFA and BDNF expressions not only in the hippocampus of depressive mice but also in BMVECs supernatants. Of note, these trophic factors play important roles in promoting neurogenesis. Conclusion: The study showed that CSS could promote angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the hippocampus of CUMS-induced mice. The underlying molecular mechanism involves the SIRT1/FOXO1 axis and subsequent regulation of VEGFA and BDNF. These findings provide novel insight into CSS drug development, and targeting the SIRT1/FOXO1 axis might be a promising strategy to treat MDD.

Potentiality of Exosomal Proteins as Novel Cancer Biomarkers for Liquid Biopsy.

Liquid biopsy has been rapidly developed in recent years due to its advantages of non-invasiveness and real-time sampling in cancer prognosis and diagnosis. Exosomes are nanosized extracellular vesicles secreted by all types of cells and abundantly distributed in all types of body fluid, carrying diverse cargos including proteins, DNA, and RNA, which transmit regulatory signals to recipient cells. Among the cargos, exosomal proteins have always been used as immunoaffinity binding targets for exosome isolation. Increasing evidence about the function of tumor-derived exosomes and their proteins is found to be massively associated with tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis in recent years. Therefore, exosomal proteins and some nucleic acids, such as miRNA, can be used not only as targets for exosome isolation but also as potential diagnostic markers in cancer research, especially for liquid biopsy. This review will discuss the existing protein-based methods for exosome isolation and characterization that are more appropriate for clinical use based on current knowledge of the exosomal biogenesis and function. Additionally, the recent studies for the use of exosomal proteins as cancer biomarkers are also discussed and summarized, which might contribute to the development of exosomal proteins as novel diagnostic tools for liquid biopsy.