Characterisation of aroma compounds, sensory characteristics, and bioactive components of a new type of huangjiu fermented with Chinese wild rice (Zizania latifolia).

Chinese wild rice (CWR) is a nutritious and healthy whole grain, worth developing. To develop and use its value, a new type of huangjiu was brewed with CWR, and the flavour characteristics, sensory quality, functional and bioactive components were evaluated. CWR (67 flavour substances) and glutinous rice (GR)-CWR huangjiu (62 flavour substances) had a better flavour than GR huangjiu (54 flavour substances), and the overall style of GR-CWR huangjiu was more skewed towards GR. The fruity, honey, caramel-like, herb and smoky aroma attributes of CWR huangjiu were higher than those of GR huangjiu (P < 0.05), while only the alcoholic was weaker (P < 0.05) due to the lower alcohol content. The huangjiu brewed using CWR had a better taste than that brewed using only GR. Furthermore, CWR huangjiu had the highest content of total dietary fiber (732.0 ± 15.2 mg/100 g), followed by GR-CWR (307.0 ± 8.5 mg/100 g), and GR (127.0 ± 2.3 mg/100 g). CWR huangjiu also had the highest total phenolic compounds (3.32 ± 0.05 mg/100 g/%vol) and total saponins (2.46 ± 0.03 mg/100 g/%vol) contents, followed by GR-CWR and GR. This study provides guidance for exploring further possibilities for CWR in the future.

Exploring major variable factors influencing flavor and microbial characteristics of upper jiupei.

The flavor quality of jiupei gradually decreased with the increase of cellar height. In this study, high-throughput sequencing, metabolomics and HS-SPME-GC-MS techniques were used to explore the mechanism of flavor quality decline in upper jiupei in mud sealed cellars. The results showed the total content of flavor compounds increased from 1947.48 mg/L in top-site to 3855.51 mg/L in bottom of the cellar, and 19 differential flavor compounds were identified based on OPLS-DA, mainly including 12 esters such as ethyl hexanoate, ethyl butyrate, propyl hexanoate, hexyl caproate and 5 other substances such as caprylic acid, decanal and nonaldehyde. Lactobacillus, Prevotella and Methanobacterium were dominant genus of bacteria in all of cellars, while Thermomyces, Aspergillus, Pichia, Trichosporon and Rhizopus were the dominant genera of fungi. Oxygen was the key factor causing the quality heterogeneity of flavor substances and microbial communities in jiupei at different depths. Anaerobic micro-pressure sealed cellars (AMSC) method was developed and applied to jiupei fermentation, the difference in oxygen content between top site (5.90 ± 0.62 %) and bottom of the cellar (4.17 ± 0.75 %) in AMSC was smaller than that in mud sealed cellars, there were no significant differences in flavor substances content between top site and bottom of the cellar, and microbial communities showed no significant differences of the four-layer jiupei. This study provides a theoretical support for improving the flavor quality of upper jiupei.

Screening of marine sediment-derived microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites: a review.

Marine sediments are one of the largest habitats on Earth, and their unique ecology, such as high salinity, high pressure, and hypoxia, may activate certain silent genes in marine microbes, resulting in microbes, enzymes, active products, and specific metabolic pathways that can adapt to these specific ecological environments. Marine sediment-derived microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites are of great significance and have potential commercial development prospects for food, pharmaceutical, chemical industries, agriculture, environmental protection and human nutrition and health. In recent years, although there have been numerous scientific reports surrounding marine sediment-derived microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites, a comprehensive review of their research progress is lacking. This paper presents the development and renewal of traditional culture-dependent and omics analysis techniques and their application to the screening of marine sediment-derived microorganisms producing bioactive substances. It also highlights recent research advances in the last five years surrounding the types, functional properties and potential applications of bioactive metabolites produced by marine sediment-derived microorganisms. These bioactive metabolites mainly include antibiotics, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, sugars, proteins, peptides, and some other small molecule metabolites. In addition, the review ends with concluding remarks on the challenges and future directions for marine sediment-derived microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites. The review report not only helps to deepen the understanding of marine sediment-derived microorganisms and their bioactive metabolites, but also provides some useful information for the exploitation and utilization of marine microbial resources and the mining of new compounds with potential functional properties.

Microbial-derived salt-tolerant proteases and their applications in high-salt traditional soybean fermented foods: a review.

Different microorganisms can produce different proteases, which can adapt to different industrial requirements such as pH, temperature, and pressure. Salt-tolerant proteases (STPs) from microorganisms exhibit higher salt tolerance, wider adaptability, and more efficient catalytic ability under extreme conditions compared to conventional proteases. These unique enzymes hold great promise for applications in various industries including food, medicine, environmental protection, agriculture, detergents, dyes, and others. Scientific studies on microbial-derived STPs have been widely reported, but there has been little systematic review of microbial-derived STPs and their application in high-salt conventional soybean fermentable foods. This review presents the STP-producing microbial species and their selection methods, and summarizes and analyzes the salt tolerance mechanisms of the microorganisms. It also outlines various techniques for the isolation and purification of STPs from microorganisms and discusses the salt tolerance mechanisms of STPs. Furthermore, this review demonstrates the contribution of modern biotechnology in the screening of novel microbial-derived STPs and their improvement in salt tolerance. It highlights the potential applications and commercial value of salt-tolerant microorganisms and STPs in high-salt traditional soy fermented foods. The review ends with concluding remarks on the challenges and future directions for microbial-derived STPs. This review provides valuable insights into the separation, purification, performance enhancement, and application of microbial-derived STPs in traditional fermented foods.

MYCL promotes the progression of triple­negative breast cancer by activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway.

The present study aimed to investigate the underlying regulatory mechanism of MYCL proto­oncogene (MYCL) in triple­negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression. In vitro experiments were performed to confirm the functional roles of MYCL in TNBC, and its effects on the JAK/STAT3 pathway through flow cytometric analysis, colony formation, wound healing and Transwell assays. In addition, the GSE45498 dataset demonstrated that MYCL was upregulated in TNBC and that it was significantly related to poor survival of patients with TNBC. Knockdown of MYCL induced the apoptosis, and suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of TNBC cells by inhibiting the JAK/STAT3 pathway. Notably, MYCL could activate the JAK/STAT3 pathway, whereas inhibition of the JAK/STAT3 pathway could eliminate the effect of MYCL on TNBC cells. Knockdown of MYCL also suppressed the growth of TNBC xenograft tumors. In conclusion, MYCL could promote TNBC progression by activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway.

Periprosthetic Joint Infection Caused by Mycoplasma hominis, Diagnosed Using Metagenomic Sequencing.

To our knowledge, the periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) caused by Mycoplasma hominis is a rare postoperative complication after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Just a few cases associated with Mycoplasma hominis infection after TKA were reported all over the world currently. In view of the difficulty involved in isolating this microorganism, Mycoplasma hominis infection may be under-recognized and should be considered in culture-negative cases where the microbial etiology is not easily identified. Metagenomic sequencing is a new tool to identify pathogens undetected by conventional methods. In this report, we present a case where metagenomic sequencing was used to identify Mycoplasma hominis as a novel PJI pathogen after TKA in our hospital.

Degradation and ozonolysis pathway elucidation of deoxynivalenol.

To explore the degradation products and ozonolysis pathway of deoxynivalenol (DON), DON (~50 mg/L) in acetonitrile solution was treated by ozone at a concentration of 10.84 g/m3 and a flow rate of 80 mL/min for the times ranging from 0 to 9 min. The results showed that DON concentration rapidly reduced from 51.11 mg/L to 14.97 mg/L within 9 min of ozone exposure with 98.30% of degradation rate, and the ozonolysis of DON followed the first-order kinetic model. Four ozonolysis products of DON were identified based on the analysis of Liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectra (LC-QTOF/MS). Their structures were similar to that of DON, while the double bond at C9-C10, 12,13-epoxide ring, and the hydroxyl group at C3 or C7 of DON were all destroyed by ozone. It is deduced that the toxicity of ozonolysis products significantly reduced based on the relationship between structure and toxicity of DON. The ozonolysis pathway of DON followed the Criegee reaction mechanism of ozone according to the chemical structures, accurate mass and molecular formulas of these products.

Cytotoxicity of Deoxynivalenol after Being Exposed to Gaseous Ozone.

In this study, deoxynivalenol (DON) in aqueous solution was exposed to gaseous ozone for periods ranging from 0 to 20 min. The degradation efficiency and cytotoxicity of DON were investigated after being treated by ozone. The results showed that DON was rapidly degraded from 10.76 ± 0.09 mg/L to 0.22 ± 0.04 mg/L within 15 min (P < 0.05), representing a reduction of 97.95%, and no DON was detected after being exposed to 14.50 mg/L of ozone at a flow rate of 80 mL/min for 20 min. The degradation of DON depended on the ozone exposure time, and followed the first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9972). Human hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) and Henrietta Lacks (Hela) cells were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of DON treated by ozone using the 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) values of DON on HepG2 and Hela cells were 2.10 and 1.33 mg/L after 48 h of exposure, respectively, and showed a dose-dependent manner. The cell vitalities of HepG2 and Hela cells on DON were both evidently improved after being exposed to ozone for 15 min, and there were no significant differences between the negative control and that treated at 20 min of ozone exposure. Gaseous ozone can potentially be used as a new method to detoxify DON in agricultural products.

Ozone detoxification of patulin in aqueous solution and cytotoxic evaluation using human hepatic carcinoma cells.

Patulin often contaminates fruits and fruit-base products, which seriously threats the health of consumers. In this study, ozone was used to degrade patulin in aqueous solution, and investigated the cytotoxicity of patulin after ozone detoxification on human hepatic carcinoma cells (HepG2) using MTT assay and apoptosis assay. Patulin was rapidly degraded from 24.59 mg/L to 9.85 mg/L within 180 s by 10.60 mg/L of ozone at a flow rate of 90 mL/min, and reduced by 59.94%. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of patulin on HepG2 cells was 9.32 µmol/L after 24 h of exposure, and it showed a dose dependent effect. After 90 s of ozone detoxification, the cell viability of HepG2 cells obviously increased from 42.31% to 93.96%, and the total apoptotic cells significantly reduced from 22.24% to 11.18% after 180 s of ozone treatment. The results clearly show the great potential of ozone in degrading patulin in liquid foods.

Aloperine attenuates hydrogen peroxide-induced injury via anti-apoptotic activity and suppression of the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway.

Aloperine is an alkaloid that exerts significant inhibitive effects on acute inflammation and Type III and IV hypersensitivity caused by a variety of inflammatory agents. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether the protective effect of aloperine attenuates hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced injury, and to identify the underlying mechanisms involved. Nucleus pulposus cells were extracted from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, and incubated with fresh medium containing 200 µM H2O2 for 24 h. In the study, treatment with aloperine significantly increased cell viability and suppressed apoptosis in H2O2-treated nucleus pulposus cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, 10 and 100 nM aloperine significantly inhibited H2O2-induced tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 activities, and significantly increased the H2O2-reduced superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities in nucleus pulposus cells (all P<0.01). However, aloperine treatment (10 and 100 nM) significantly reduced the H2O2-induced caspase-9 activity in nucleus pulposus cells. Furthermore, addition of 10 and 100 nM aloperine significantly suppressed nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and phosphorylated-protein kinase B expression levels in H2O2-treated nucleus pulposus cells. In conclusion, the protective effect of aloperine attenuated H2O2-induced injury via hyperproliferation, its anti-apoptotic activity and suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Allicin protects traumatic spinal cord injury through regulating the HSP70/Akt/iNOS pathway in mice.

Allicin is a major component of garlic, extracted as an oily liquid. The present study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of allicin on traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) in mice, and whether the effects are mediated via regulation of the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), v­akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (Akt) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) pathways. Adult BALB/c mice (30­40 g) received a laminectomy at the T9 vertebral level as a model of TSCI. In the present study, treatment of the TSCI mice with allicin significantly increased their Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scores (P<0.01) and reduced the spinal cord water content (P<0.01). This protective effect was associated with the inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in TSCI mice. Western blot analysis demonstrated that allicin increased the protein levels of HSP70, increased the phosphorylation of Akt and reduced the iNOS protein expression levels in TSCI mice. Additionally, treatment with allicin significantly reduced the levels of ROS and enhanced the NADH levels in TSCI mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the effects of allicin on TSCI are mediated via regulation of the HSP70, Akt and iNOS pathways in mice.

Increased cancer risk associated with the -607C/A polymorphism in interleukin-18 gene promoter: an updated meta-analysis including 12,502 subjects.

PURPOSE: Increasing investigations have been performed on the association of -607C/A polymorphism in Interleukin-18 (IL-18) gene promoter with cancer risk and have yielded conflicting results. To derive a more precise estimation of the association, we performed an updated meta-analysis of all eligible studies. METHODS: We searched all eligible studies by using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The odds ratios (ORs) were pooled by the fixed-effects/random-effects model in STATA 12.0 software. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 29 studies with 6,026 cases and 6,476 controls. Overall, significantly increased cancer risk was observed (A vs C: OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.01,1.19, Pheterogeneity=0.001; AA vs CC: OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.01,1.37, Pheterogeneity=0.007; CA vs CC: OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.05,1.25, Pheterogeneity=0.152; AA/CA vs CC: OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.06,1.31, Pheterogeneity=0.042). In subgroup analyses based on ethnicity, the results suggested a significantly increased risk of cancer in Asian population (CA vs CC: OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.00-1.24, Pheterogeneity=0.353; AA/CA vs CC: OR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.02-1.29, Pheterogeneity=0.081) and in Mixed population (A vs C: OR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.22-2.43, Pheterogeneity=NA; AA vs CC: OR=2.84, 95% CI: 1.43-5.64, Pheterogeneity=NA; AA vs CC/CA: OR=2.43, 95% CI: 1.34-4.42, Pheterogeneity=NA; AA/CA vs CC: OR=1.69, 95% CI: 1.00-2.85, Pheterogeneity=NA); however, no significant association was found in Caucasian or African populations. In the subgroup analysis by cancer type we found a significantly increased susceptibility to breast cancer (A vs C: OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.00-1.75,Pheterogeneity=0.155; AA vs CC: OR=1.80, 95% CI: 1.02-3.21,Pheterogeneity=0.162; AA7sol;CA vs CC: OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.00-1.78,Pheterogeneity=0.546), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (A vs C: OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.32, Pheterogeneity=0.921; AA vs CC: OR=1.34, 95% CI: 1.02-1.75, Pheterogeneity=0.863; CA vs. CC: OR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.08-1.70, Pheterogeneity=0.824; AA/CA vs CC: OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.09-1.68,Pheterogeneity=0.904), and esophageal cancer (CA vs CC: OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.04-1.80, Pheterogeneity=0.528; AA/CA vs CC: OR =1.29, 95% CI: 1.00-1.66, Pheterogeneity=0.700). CONCLUSIONS: The current meta-analysis suggests that the -607C/A polymorphism in IL-18 gene promoter is associated with a significantly increased risk of cancer, especially of breast cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and esophageal cancer and in Asian and Mixed populations. More studies with diverse ethnic groups, larger sample size, and well controlled confounding factors are warranted to further investigate the association.

Axl as a downstream effector of TGF-ß1 via PI3K/Akt-PAK1 signaling pathway promotes tumor invasion and chemoresistance in breast carcinoma.

The invasion and chemoresistance are crucial causes of morbidity and death for cancer patients. Axl is closely associated with malignant phenotype of breast tumor cells, including invasiveness and metastasis. Both breast cancer cell line and tissue displayed increased expression of Axl, especially in highly metastatic breast cancer. On the contrary, experimental inhibition of Axl or transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1) by RNAi assay could suppress cell invasion ability and chemoresistance. Moreover, the up-regulation of Axl was induced by TGF-ß1, further activated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and PAK1 translocation, and resulted in greater cell motility, invasion, and chemoresistance in vitro and in vivo. After the detection and statistics in human breast cancer specimens, we found that the Axl expression was closely correlated with TGF-ß1 level, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage (p < 0.01). Our findings support the possibility that Axl is a significant regulator of invasion and chemosensitivity, and it means by targeting Axl or its related signaling pathways, we can reduce the invasion and chemosensitivity of breast tumor.

Axl mediates tumor invasion and chemosensitivity through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and is transcriptionally regulated by slug in breast carcinoma.

The invasion and chemoresistance are crucial causes of morbidity and relapse for cancer patients. Axl is implicated in the modulation of cell invasion, cancer metastasis, and chemosensitivity in human breast carcinoma cell lines. Both breast cancer cell lines and tissues displayed increased expression of Axl, and it over expressed in highly metastatic breast cancer. The altered expression level of Axl was corresponding to the changed invasive phenotype and chemosensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells both in vitro and in vivo. Further data indicated that experimental inhibition of Axl by RNAi assay inhibited phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/GSK3ß signaling pathway, resulted in the decrease of Slug expression, and further suppressed cell invasion properties and chemosensitivity. What is more, after the detection and statistics in human breast cancer specimens, we found the Axl expression was closely correlated with histological grade, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage (P < 0.01). Taken together, these findings indicate that Axl exerts the role of tumor metastasis and chemosensitivity through activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK3ß signaling pathway, which is transcriptionally regulated by Slug. Our findings support the possibility that Axl is a novel regulator. It means by targeting Axl or its related signaling pathways, we can reduce the invasion and chemosensitivity of breast tumor.

Phyllodes tumor of the breast: role of Axl and ST6GalNAcII in the development of mammary phyllodes tumors.

Phyllodes tumor exhibits an aggressive growth. The expression of many biological markers has been explored to discriminate between different grades of phyllodes tumor and to predict their behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implications of Axl and ST6GalNAcII in phyllodes tumors. Real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical were used to analyze differential expression of ST6GalNAcII and Axl in phyllodes tumor (PT) cell lines and tissue specimens. RNAi assay, ECM invasion assay, and tumorigenicity assay were used to analyze the altered expression of ST6GalNAcII gene effects on the expression of Axl and invasive ability of phyllodes tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Compared to benign tumors, borderline and malignant ones showed a remarkable increase in mRNA levels of Axl and ST6GalNAcII gene, and it was higher in malignant tumor cells than in borderline tumor cells. When ST6GalNAcII was silenced, compared to the control, the expression level of Axl was significantly reduced in malignant tumor cell transfectants and knockdown of ST6GalNAcII gene significantly inhibited invasive activity in malignant tumor cells. The high expression of ST6GalNAcII and Axl was significantly correlated with tumor grade and distance metastasis by immunohistochemical analysis. Axl and ST6GalNAcII expression increases with increasing tumor grade in mammary phyllodes tumors. ST6GalNAc II might be participated in the glycosylation of Axl, and this Axl glycosylation may mediate the tumorigenicity, invasion, and distant metastasis of PT cells.

ST6GalNAcII mediates the invasive properties of breast carcinoma through PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Metastasis of tumor cells is the most deadly attribute of breast cancer patients. Aberrant sialylation is closely associated with malignant phenotype of tumor cells, including invasiveness and metastasis. The objective of this study is to clarify the possible role and mechanism of ST6GalNAcII in the metastasis process of breast carcinoma. Real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical were used to analyze differential expression of ST6GalNAc II in breast carcinoma cell lines and tissue specimens. PI3K/AKt signaling pathway was also analyzed. The high expression level of ST6GalNAcII was corresponding to invasive phenotype of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Further data indicated that manipulation of ST6GalNAcII gene expression led to alter the activity of phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway resulted in reduced capacity in invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. ST6GalNAcII elucidated the unusual properties of invasion in breast cancer cell via modulating the PI3K/AKt signaling pathway.

Coverage of fingertip defect using a dorsal island pedicle flap including both dorsal digital nerves.

PURPOSE: Fingertip or pulp resurfacing is a challenging reconstructive problem, as the treatment varies widely. In this study, we report the results of a dorsal island pedicle flap raised from an adjacent finger, including the bilateral dorsal digital nerves, for coverage of extensive soft tissue defect in the fingertip or pulp. METHODS: The mean defect and the flap were 3.7 x 2.2 cm and 3.9 x 2.4 cm in size, respectively. In all cases, bilateral coaptation between the dorsal digital nerves and the proper digital nerves were performed. Patient follow-up lasted 25 to 34 months (mean, 27 months). The range of motion of the injured digits was measured. Sensibility of both radial and ulnar sides of the flap in the finger pulp was evaluated by the Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test and 2-point discrimination. Satisfaction with the appearance, pain, and cold intolerance were also assessed. RESULTS: All flaps survived completely with maintenance of the normal-length digit. Full motion was maintained at the distal and proximal interphalangeal joints of both the injured and donor fingers. The mean values of Semmes-Weinstein sensitivity were 4.22 g and 4.31 g on the radial and ulnar sides of the flap in the pulp, respectively. The mean values of static 2-point discrimination were 4.4 mm and 4.5 mm on the radial and ulnar sides, respectively. All patients were satisfied with appearance of the fingertips. CONCLUSIONS: The dorsal island pedicle flap from an adjacent finger can be used for coverage of extensive fingertip or pulp defects, with maintenance of a normal-length digit and restoration of sensation on both the radial and ulnar sides of the finger pulp. The sensation recovery of this series is superior to those dorsal island pedicle flaps previously described in the literature, which did not include incorporation of both dorsal digital nerves. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.