The Production of Intensified Qu and Its Microbial Communities and Aroma Variation during the Fermentation of Huangjiu (Chinese Rice Wine).

In recent years, intensified Qu (IQ) has been gradually applied to brewing in order to improve the aroma of Huangjiu (Chinese rice wine). In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Wickerhamomyces anomalus solutions were added to Fengmi Qu (FMQ) from Fangxian, China to produce IQ, and brewing trial was conducted. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) was used to analyze the microbial community in fermentation broth of IQ (IQFB). Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and sensory evaluation were performed to analyze volatile aroma compounds (VACs) in sample without Qu and both fermentation broths. The results showed that Pediococcus, Cronobacter, Enterococcus, Weissella, and Acinetobacter and Saccharomycopsis, Wickerhamomyces, and Saccharomyces were dominant bacterial and fungal groups, respectively. A total of 115 VACs were detected, and the content of esters including ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, and so on was noticeably higher in IQFB. The finding of sensory evaluation reflected that adding pure yeast to Qu could enhance fruit and floral aromas. Correlation analysis yielded 858 correlations between significant microorganisms and different VACs. In addition, prediction of microbial community functions in IQFB revealed global and overview maps and carbohydrate metabolism to be the main one. This study is advantageous for further regulation of the fermentation process of Huangjiu by microbial means.

Differential effects of PEGylated Cd-free CuInS2/ZnS quantum dot (QDs) on substance P and LL-37 induced human mast cell activation.

CuInS2/ZnS-PEG quantum dots (QDs) are among the most widely used near infrared non-cadmium QDs and are favored because of their non-cadmium content and strong tissue penetration. However, with their increasing use, there is great concern about whether exposure to QDs is potentially risky to the environment and humans. Furthermore, toxicological data related to CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs are scarce. In the study, we found that CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs (0-100 µg/mL) could internalize into human LAD2 mast cells without affecting their survival rate, nor did it cause degranulation or release of IL-8 and TNF-α. However, CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs significantly inhibited Substance P (SP) and LL-37-induced degranulation and chemotaxis of LAD2 cells by inhibiting calcium mobilization. Lower concentrations of CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs promoted the release of TNF-α and IL-8 stimulated by SP, but higher concentrations of CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs significantly inhibited the release of TNF-α and IL-8. On the other hand, CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs promoted LL-37-mediated TNF-α release from LAD2 cells in a dose-dependent manner from 6.25 to 100 µg/mL, while release of IL-8 triggered by LL-37 was dose-dependently inhibited within a dose concentration of 12.5-100 µg/mL. Collectively, our data demonstrated that CuInS2/ZnS-PEG QDs differentially mediated human mast cell activation induced by SP and LL-37.

6-O-angeloylplenolin inhibits anti-IgE-stimulated human mast cell activation via suppressing calcium influx and ERK phosphorylation.

Objectives: Mast cells are important immune cells that primarily localize in the interface between the host and external environment, and protect us from pathogen infection. However, they are also involved in the pathology of allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. A novel S phase kinase-associated protein 1 (SKP1) inhibitor 6-O-angeloylplenolin (6-OAP), was studied with its potential ability to alleviate the anti-IgE-induced inflammatory responses of primary human cultured mast cells (HCMCs) and LAD2 cell line. Materials and Methods: We isolated the HCMCs from the buffy coat of voluntary blood donors. The effects of 6-OAP on mast cell activation were evaluated by measuring degranulation, cytokine release, migration, calcium influx, and ERK phosphorylation using spectro-fluorescence assay, multiplex cytometric bead assay/ELISA, migration assay, Fluo-4 calcium flux assay, and western blot, respectively. Results: It was found that 6-OAP exerted anti-inflammatory effects on human mast cells by dose-dependently suppressing the anti-IgE-mediated degranulation and release of cytokines such as proinflammatory cytokines (IL-8 and TNF-α), growth factors (GM-CSF, VEGF, and FGF), and chemokines (CCL2 and CCL3) in HCMC and LAD2 cells. It also suppressed the migration of immature HCMCs induced by CXCL12. Moreover, the process of calcium influx and ERK phosphorylation in activated HCMC cells were inhibited by 6-OAP administration. Conclusion: Our results showed that 6-OAP inhibited anti-IgE-induced inflammatory responses of human mast cells via suppressing calcium influx and ERK phosphorylation.