Structural and functional properties of whey protein isolate-inulin conjugates prepared with ultrasound or wet heating method.

BACKGROUND: Whey protein isolate (WPI) generally represents poor functional properties such as thermal stability, emulsifying activity and antioxidant activity near its isoelectric point or high temperatures, which limit its application in the food industry. The preparation of WPI-polysaccharide covalent conjugates based on Maillard reaction is a promising method to improve the physical and chemical stability and functional properties of WPI. In this research, WPI-inulin conjugates were prepared through wet heating method and ultrasound method and their structural and functional properties were examined. RESULTS: In conjugates, the free amino acid content was reduced, the high molecular bands were emerged at sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), new C-N bonds were formed in Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and fluorescence intensity was reduced compared with WPI. Furthermore, the result of circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy also showed that the secondary structure of conjugates was changed. Conjugates with ultrasound treatment had better structural properties compared with those prepared by wet heating treatment. The functional properties such as thermal stability, emulsifying activity index (EAI), emulsion stability (ES) and antioxidant activity of conjugates with wet heating treatment were significantly improved compared with WPI. The EAI and ES of conjugates with ultrasound treatment were the highest, but the thermal stability and antioxidant activity were only close to that of the conjugates with wet heating treatment for 2 h. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that WPI-inulin conjugates prepared with ultrasound or wet heating method not only changed the structural characteristics of WPI but also could promote its functional properties including thermal stability, EAI, ES and antioxidant activity. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Inulin: properties and health benefits.

Inulin, a soluble dietary fiber, is widely found in more than 36 000 plant species as a reserve polysaccharide. The primary sources of inulin, include Jerusalem artichoke, chicory, onion, garlic, barley, and dahlia, among which Jerusalem artichoke tubers and chicory roots are often used as raw materials for inulin production in the food industry. It is universally acknowledged that inulin as a prebiotic has an outstanding effect on the regulation of intestinal microbiota via stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria. In addition, inulin also exhibits excellent health benefits in regulating lipid metabolism, weight loss, lowering blood sugar, inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors, reducing the risk of colon cancer, enhancing mineral absorption, improving constipation, and relieving depression. In this review paper, we attempt to present an exhaustive overview of the function and health benefits of inulin.

Ultrasound-Guided Median Nerve Electrical Stimulation to Promote Upper Limb Function Recovery after Stroke.

Peripheral electrical nerve stimulation enhances hand function during stroke rehabilitation. Here, we proposed a percutaneous direct median nerve stimulation guided by ultrasound (ultrasound-guided median nerve electrical stimulation, UG-MNES) and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness in the treatment of stroke patients with upper limb extremity impairments. Sixty-three stroke patients (2-3 months of onset) were randomly divided into control and UG-MNES groups. Both groups received routine rehabilitation and the UG-MNES group received an additional ultrasound-guided electrical stimulation of the median nerve at 2 Hz, 0.2 ms pulse-width for 20 minutes with gradual intensity enhancement. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment for upper extremity motor function (FMA-UE) was used as the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes were the Functional Test for the Hemiplegic Upper Extremity (FTHUE-HK), Hand Function Rating Scale, Brunnstrom Stages, and Barthel Index scores for motor and daily functions. All the participants completed the trial without any side effects or adverse events during the intervention. After 4 weeks of intervention, the functions of the upper limbs on the hemiplegic side in both groups achieved significant recovery. Compared to the control group, all evaluation indices used in this trial were improved significantly in the UG-MNES group after 2 and 4 weeks of intervention; particularly, the first intervention of UG-MNES immediately improved all the assessment items significantly. In conclusion, the UG-MNES is a safe and feasible treatment for stroke patients with upper limb extremity impairments and could significantly improve the motor function of the affected upper limb, especially in the first intervention. The UG-MNES could be an effective alternative intervention for stroke with upper limb extremity impairments.

Spiroligustolides A and B: Two pairs of enantiomeric spiro-orthoester-containing phthalide dimers as Cav3.1 calcium channel inhibitors from Ligusticum Chuanxiong Hort.

Two pairs of unprecedented enantiomeric phthalide dimers, spiroligustolides A (1a/1b) and B (2a/2b), featuring a unique spiroorthoster linkage between two monomeric units to form a 5/6/5/6/6-fused ring system, were isolated from the roots of Ligusticum chuanxiong. The structures and relative configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by HR-ESI-MS, IR, and NMR spectroscopic data, coupled with single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and the absolute configurations of 1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b were established by comparing the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1 and 2 was proposed. Moreover, compounds 1, 1b, and 2b showed remarkable inhibitory activities on Cav3.1 calcium channel with IC50 values of 8.34, 7.08, and 8.60 µM, respectively.

Long Noncoding RNA NEAT1 Promotes the Progression of Breast Cancer by Regulating miR-138-5p/ZFX Axis.

Background: Growing evidence demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were involved in the progression of diverse cancers, including breast cancer (BC). Recent studies indicated that lncRNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) was overexpressed and facilitated tumor processes in many cancers. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of NEAT1 in regulating BC progression is still largely unknown. Materials and Methods: The abundance of NEAT1, microRNA-138-5p (miR-138-5p), and zinc finger protein X-linked (ZFX) was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry, and transwell assay were utilized to evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion, respectively. Western blot analysis was applied to detect the protein expression of CyclinD1, Bax, E-cadherin, and ZFX. The interaction between miR-138-5p and NEAT1 or ZFX was predicted by starBase v3.0 and validated by dual-luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. The mice xenograft model was established to investigate the roles of NEAT1 in vivo. Results: NEAT1 was highly expressed and miR-138-5p was lowly expressed in BC tissues and cells. NEAT1 interference or miR-138-5p restoration repressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion but accelerated apoptosis in BC cells. Moreover, miR-138-5p directly interacted with NEAT1 and its knockdown reversed the suppressive impact of NEAT1 downregulation on the progression of BC cells. In addition, ZFX was a downstream target of miR-138-5p and its upregulation attenuated the antitumor role of miR-138-5p in BC cells. Besides, ZFX expression was positively regulated by NEAT1 and inversely modulated by miR-138-5p. Furthermore, interference of NEAT1 inhibited tumor growth by upregulating miR-138-5p and downregulating ZFX. Conclusion: NEAT1 affected BC progression through modulating miR-138-5p/ZFX axis, providing a vital theoretical basis for BC treatment.

Chlamydia trachomatis Stimulation Enhances HIV-1 Susceptibility through the Modulation of a Member of the Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins.

Sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia trachomatis can enhance HIV-1 infection. However, the molecular mechanisms modulating the enhancement of HIV-1 infectivity and replication during HIV-1/sexually transmitted infections coinfection remain elusive. In this study, we performed an ex vivo infection of HIV-1 in PBMCs of C. trachomatis‒infected patients and observed a significant increase in HIV-1 p24 levels compared with those in cells from healthy donors. Similarly, C. trachomatis‒stimulated PBMCs from healthy donors showed enhanced susceptibility to HIV-1. C. trachomatis‒stimulated CD4 T cells also harbored more HIV-1 copy numbers. RNA sequencing data revealed the upregulation of CCL3L1/CCL3L3, a paralog of CCL3 in C. trachomatis‒stimulated CD4 T cells infected with HIV-1. Furthermore, an increase in CCL3L1/CCL3L3 expression levels correlated with HIV-1 replication in C. trachomatis‒stimulated cells. However, the addition of exogenous CCL3L1 reduces HIV-1 infection of healthy cells, indicating a dual role of CCL3L1 in HIV-1 infection. Further investigation revealed that a knockout of CCL3L1/CCL3L3 in Jurkat T cells rescued the increased susceptibility of C. trachomatis‒stimulated cells to HIV-1 infection. These results reveal a role for CCL3L1/CCL3L3 in enhancing HIV-1 replication and production and highlight a mechanism for the enhanced susceptibility to HIV-1 among C. trachomatis‒infected patients.

Transcriptome analysis reveals gene responses to herbicide, tribenuron methyl, in Brassica napus L. during seed germination.

BACKGROUND: Tribenuron methyl (TBM) is an herbicide that inhibits sulfonylurea acetolactate synthase (ALS) and is one of the most widely used broad-leaved herbicides for crop production. However, soil residues or drifting of the herbicide spray might affect the germination and growth of rapeseed, Brassica napus, so it is imperative to understand the response mechanism of rape to TBM during germination. The aim of this study was to use transcriptome analysis to reveal the gene responses in herbicide-tolerant rapeseed to TBM stress during seed germination. RESULTS: 2414, 2286, and 1068 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in TBM-treated resistant vs sensitive lines, treated vs. control sensitive lines, treated vs. control resistant lines, respectively. GO analysis showed that most DEGs were annotated to the oxidation-reduction pathways and catalytic activity. KEGG enrichment was mainly involved in plant-pathogen interactions, α-linolenic acid metabolism, glucosinolate biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Based on GO and KEGG enrichment, a total of 137 target genes were identified, including genes involved in biotransferase activity, response to antioxidant stress and lipid metabolism. Biotransferase genes, CYP450, ABC and GST, detoxify herbicide molecules through physical or biochemical processes. Antioxidant genes, RBOH, WRKY, CDPK, MAPK, CAT, and POD regulate plant tolerance by transmitting ROS signals and triggering antioxidant enzyme expression. Lipid-related genes and hormone-related genes were also found, such as LOX3, ADH1, JAZ6, BIN2 and ERF, and they also played an important role in herbicide resistance. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides insights for selecting TBM-tolerant rapeseed germplasm and exploring the molecular mechanism of TBM tolerance during germination.

Tetranorlanostane and Lanostane Triterpenoids with Cytotoxic Activity from the Epidermis of Poria cocos.

Two unprecedented tetranorlanostane triterpenoids, poricolides A (1) and B (2), and two new lanostane triterpenoids, 3ß-acetoxy-24-methyllanosta-8,16,24(31)-trien-21-oic acid (3) and 3ß-acetoxylanosta-7,9(11),16,23-tetraen-21-oic acid (4), were isolated from the epidermis of Poria cocos. The structures of 1-4 were determined via analysis of 1 H-, 13 C-, and 2D-NMR, and HR-ESI-MS data, and the absolute configurations of 1 and 3 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 were the first report of tetranorlanostane triterpenoid having a δ-lactone ring at C(17). Compounds 3 and 4 were rare lanostane triterpenoids having a double bond between C(16) and C(17). Compounds 1-4 exhibited potent antiproliferative effects against A549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW480 cancer cell lines with IC50 values from 16.19±0.38 to 27.74±1.12 µM.

Establishment of successive co-fermentation by Bacillus subtilis and Acetobacter pasteurianus for extracting chitin from shrimp shells.

To simplify the process of chitin bio-extraction from shrimp shells powder (SSP), successive co-fermentation using Bacillus subtilis and Acetobacter pasteurianus was explored in this work. Among three protease-producer (B. licheniformis, B. subtilis, and B. cereus), only B. subtilis exhibited high compatibility with A. pasteurianus in co-culture. Successive co-fermentation was constructed as follows: deproteinization was performed for 3 d by culturing B. subtilis in the medium containing 50 g·L-1 SSP, 50 g·L-1 glucose, and 1 g·L-1 yeast extracts; After feeding 5 g·L-1 KH2PO4 and 6 % (v/v) ethanol, A. pasteurianus was cultured for another 2 d without replacing and re-sterilizing medium. Through 5 d of fermentation, the final deproteinization, demineralization efficiency, and chitin yield reached 94.5 %, 92.0 %, and 18.0 %, respectively. This purified chitin had lower molecular weight (12.8 kDa) and higher deacetylation degree (19.6 %) compared with commercial chitin (18.5 kDa, 6.7 %), and showed excellent structural characterization of FESEM and FT-IR analysis.

Photosynthetic index and nitrogen assimilation in rapeseed seedlings transplanted in soil with ammonium glufosinate / Índice fotossintético e assimilação de nitrogênio em plântulas de colza transplantadas em resposta a resíduos de glufosinato presentes no solo

ABSTRACT: Herbicide application is an effective weed control method for mitigating crop yield loss; however, herbicide overuse can cause toxicity in non-target plants. The present study evaluated the effects of glufosinate at recommended dose for agricultural application (0.45 kg ha-1) and at overuse dose (0.90 kg ha-1) glufosinate application on photosynthetic performance and nitrogen assimilation of the rapeseed varieties D148 and Zhongshuang 11 (ZS11). Both glufosinate concentrations significantly decreased the content of chlorophyll and nitrogenous compounds, except free proline, and the activity of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase, and increased the activity of glutamic acid dehydrogenase in both varieties. When the concentration of glyphosate was 0.45kg ha-1, the nitrogen assimilation of the two varieties decreased, which indicated that the recommended dosage inhibited the nitrogen assimilation of the two varieties; however, the increase of net photosynthetic rate of D148 and the decrease of that of ZS11 mean that D148 is more tolerant to the recommended dose of glyphosate than ZS11. The 0.90 kg ha-1 dosage was toxic to both rapeseed varieties. Overall, our results indicated that herbicide overuse inhibited the photosynthetic rate and nitrogen assimilation in rapeseed seedlings, and it is essential to apply a suitable glufosinate dose based on the variety grown to minimize adverse effects on crops and environment.

RESUMO: A aplicação de herbicidas é um método eficaz de controle de ervas daninhas para mitigar a perda de produtividade das culturas. No entanto, o uso excessivo de herbicidas pode causar toxicidade em plantas não alvo. O presente estudo avaliou os efeitos da dose recomendada para aplicação agrícola (0.45 kg ha-1) e dose excessiva (0.90 kg ha-1) de glufosinato no desempenho fotossintético e assimilação de nitrogênio das variedades de colza D148 e Zhongshuang 11 (ZS11). Ambas as concentrações de glutamato diminuíram significativamente o teor de clorofila e compostos azotados, exceto a prolina livre, e a atividade de síntese da glutamina e de síntese de glutamato, e aumentaram a atividade de desidrogenase do ácido glutâmico em ambas as variedades. Quando a concentração de glifosato foi 0.45 kg ha-1, a assimilação de azoto das duas variedades diminuiu, o que indicou que a dosagem recomendada de glifosato inibiu a assimilação de azoto das duas variedades de colza. Entretanto, a taxa fotosintética líquida do D148 aumentou enquanto o do ZS11 diminuiu, o que significa que o D148 é mais tolerante a dose recomendada de glifosato do que o ZS11. A dose de 0.90 kg ha-1 de glifosato foi prejudicial para as mudas de duas variedades de colza. Em geral, os nossos resultados indicam que o uso excessivo de glufosinato inibe a taxa fotossintética e a assimilação de nitrogênio em mudas de colza, sendo essencial aplicar uma dose adequada deste herbicida com base na variedade cultivada para minimizar os efeitos adversos nas culturas e no meio ambiente.

Identification of key genes and specific pathways potentially involved in androgen-independent, mitoxantrone-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Resistance to mitoxantrone (MTX), an anthracenedione antineoplastic agent used in advanced and metastatic androgen-refractory prostate cancer (PCa), seriously limits therapeutic success. METHODS: Xenografts from two human PCa cell lines (VCaP and CWR22) were established in male severe combined immunodeficiency mice, and MTX was administered, with or without concurrent castration, three times a week until tumors relapsed. Microarray technology was used to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in androgen-independent, MTX-resistant PCa xenografts. Gene expression profiles of MTX-treatment xenografts and their respective parental cell lines were performed using an Agilent whole human genome oligonucleotide microarray and analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. RESULTS: A total of 636 genes were differentially expressed (fold change ≥1.5; P<0.05) in MTX-resistant castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) xenografts. Of these, 18 were selected to be validated and showed that most of these genes exhibited a transcriptional profile similar to that seen in the microarray (Pearson's r=0.87). Western blotting conducted with a subset of genes deregulated in MTX-resistant CRPC tumors was shown through network analysis to be involved in androgen synthesis, drug efflux, ATP synthesis, and vascularization. CONCLUSION: The present data provide insight into the genetic alterations underlying MTX resistance in androgen-independent PCa and highlight potential targets to improve therapeutic outcomes.