Preparation of shell-core fiber-encapsulated Lactobacillus rhamnosus 1.0320 using coaxial electrospinning.

In this study, shell-core fibers were successfully prepared by using Eudragit S100 (ES100) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/pectin (PEC) through coaxial electrospinning technology. The electrospun fiber was characterized by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the coaxial electrospun fiber encapsulated with Lactobacillus rhamnosus 1.0320 (L. rhamnosus) had higher thermal stability than the electrospun fiber prepared by uniaxial electrospinning. L. rhamnosus encapsulated by coaxial electrospun fiber maintained 90.07% and 91.96% survivability in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. After continuous simulated gastrointestinal fluid treatment, the survival rate of L. rhamnosus encapsulated by coaxial electrospun fiber was 81.40%. The results indicate that shell-core fiber-encapsulated probiotics can improve the tolerance of probiotics to the harsh environment of gastrointestinal tract. The fiber prepared in this study can be applied to the preparation of functional fermented food such as probiotic yogurt fermentation in the future.

Corn oligopeptides inhibit Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway and inflammatory factors to ameliorate CCl4 -induced hepatic fibrosis in mice.

In this study, the effect of corn oligopeptides (COPs) with liver protection activity on mice with hepatic fibrosis (HF) induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) was studied. It was proved that COPs can ameliorate the liver injury and inflammation caused by CCl4 by histopathology and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in mice. The expression of Akt/NF-κB inflammatory pathway was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting (WB). The results showed that COPs inhibited the expression of key proteins in the inflammatory pathway. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that COPs could improve CCl4 -induced HF by improving liver injury, reducing the expression of inflammatory factors, and inhibiting the expression of inflammatory signaling pathways. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The corns around the world are mainly used as animal feed, and the liver protective activity of corn oligopeptides (COPs) is rarely applied to the market. The development of COPs liver protective food can prevent the occurrence of liver-related diseases such as hepatic fibrosis to a certain extent. Developing COPs liver protecting food can improve the utilization value of corn. It is hoped that this study can provide experimental support for the application of COPs in liver protection food.

Physical and oxidative stability of astaxanthin microcapsules prepared with liposomes.

BACKGROUND: Oil bodies (OBs) are a kind of natural and stable oil nucleate microcapsule in which the triglyceride matrix can be used as an appropriate carrier of hydrophobic molecules. Astaxanthin has high antioxidant properties but is extremely sensitive to oxidation, causing the loss of its bioactive properties. RESULTS: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of environmental factors (light, oxygen, temperature, and pH) on the physical and oxidative stability of astaxanthin microcapsules prepared with peanut oil bodies (POBs). After 14 days of storage, the retention rate of astaxanthin in peanut oil microcapsules (POMs) was significantly increased. The astaxanthin retention rate of POMs stored under light conditions was higher than under dark conditions. Similarly, the retention rate of astaxanthin in POMs was significantly increased during vacuum storage. The astaxanthin retention rate was also the highest when POMs were stored at 4 °C, whereas it was the lowest at pH 3.0. CONCLUSION: The experiment demonstrated that microcapsulation could improve the astaxanthin retention rate and storage stability, and recombinant OBs were potential ideal wall materials for astaxanthin embedding. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Oil bodies extracted from high-oil soybeans (Glycine max) exhibited higher oxidative and physical stability than oil bodies from high-protein soybeans.

Reports concerning the characteristics of soybean oil bodies (SOBs) isolated from high protein genotypes and high oil genotypes of soybeans available in the literature are insufficient and limiting. In this study, fatty acid compositions, total phenol and tocopherol contents, antioxidant capacity, and physicochemical stability of SOB emulsions recovered from three high-protein and three high-oil genotype soybeans were comparatively investigated. Principal component analysis showed that all six SOB samples could be easily discriminated based on the cultivar characteristics. Overall, the SOBs derived from the high-protein soybeans exhibited higher polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) contents, while the SOBs derived from the high-oil soybeans had higher extraction yields and tocopherol contents; the tocopherol content was also positively correlated with the antioxidant capacity of the lipophilic fraction, but the difference in the total phenolic content between the two genotypes was not significant. The SOBs derived from the high-protein soybeans were more easily oxidized during storage, with 1.38- and 4-fold higher accumulation rates of lipid hydroperoxides (LPO) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), respectively, in the high-protein-derived SOBs than in the high-oil-derived SOBs. In addition, the SOBs from the high-protein soybeans exhibited pronounced coalescence during storage, which was corroborated by focused confocal microscopy. These results confirmed that SOBs obtained from high-oil soybean genotypes are more suitable to manufacture OB-based products due to their superior physicochemical stability.

Uptake of atmospherically deposited cadmium by leaves of vegetables: Subcellular localization by NanoSIMS and potential risks.

Atmospherically deposited cadmium (Cd) may accumulate in plants through foliar uptake; however, the foliar uptake, accumulation, and distribution processes of Cd are still under discussion. Atmospherically deposited Cd was simulated using cadmium sulfide (CdS) with various particle sizes and solubility. Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk, WS) and pak choi (Brassica chinensis L., PC) leaves were treated with suspensions of CdS nanoparticles (CdSN), which entered the leaves via the stomata. Cd concentrations of WS and PC leaves treated with 125 mg L-1 CdSN reached up to 39.8 and 11.0 mg kg-1, respectively, which are higher than the critical leaf concentration for toxicity. Slight changes were observed in fresh biomass, photosynthetic parameters, lipid peroxidation, and mineral nutrient uptake. Exposure concentration, rather than particle size or solubility, regulated the foliar uptake and accumulation of Cd. Subcellular and the high-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) results revealed that Cd was majorly stored in the soluble fraction and cell walls, which is an important Cd detoxification mechanism in leaves. The potential health risks associated with consuming CdS-containing vegetables were highlighted. These findings facilitate a better understanding of the fate of atmospheric Cd in plants, which is critical in ensuring food security.

Tungsten distribution and vertical migration in soils near a typical abandoned tungsten smelter.

As an emerging contaminant, tungsten's distribution and speciation in soils are far from understood. In this study, two soil profiles near a typical abandoned tungsten smelter in Hunan Province, China were collected and investigated, to ascertain the binding and association of tungsten with different soil components and subsequently to understand its mobility. The data showed that past tungsten smelting activities resulted in elevated concentrations of both tungsten and arsenic in the soil profiles, both of which ranged from dozens of to a few hundred mg/kg. Nano-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) was employed to quantify the distribution and association of tungsten with various other elements. Combined with sequential extraction and mineralogical analysis, the data from NanoSIMS showed that aluminosilicates including kaolinite and illite were the most important mineral hosts for tungsten, whereas arsenic was predominantly bound to iron (oxyhydr)oxides. Additional data from 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that soil organic matter retained tungsten in deep soils (>70 cm) by binding tungsten through carboxyls on aromatic rings. Compared to arsenic, tungsten migrated deeper in the soil profiles, suggesting its higher mobility and potential risk to groundwater quality.