Identification of a novel oligopeptide from defatted walnut meal hydrolysate as a potential neuroprotective agent.

Free radical damage and oxidative stress are thought to play a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Walnut peptides, especially walnut oligopeptides, have been shown to protect nerve cells from oxidative stress and inflammatory damage, as well as improve memory function. In this study, walnut peptides were obtained from walnut meal through enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrafiltration, and gel filtration chromatography. A novel oligopeptide called AQ was successfully isolated and its chemical structure was identified as AASCDQ using ESI-MS/MS. AQ demonstrated remarkable scavenging activity against O2- free radicals (81.00%), DPPH free radicals (79.40%), and ABTS free radicals (67.09%) at a concentration of 1 mg mL-1. Furthermore, AQ exhibited strong neuroprotective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced damage in SH-SY5Y cells, reducing cell injury and apoptosis. AQ also effectively inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors NO (IC50 = 46.03 ± 0.32 µM) and suppressed the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by LPS. In vivo experiments demonstrated that AQ promoted angiogenesis in the quail chick chorioallantoic membrane assay and reduced ROS accumulation in Caenorhabditis elegans, thereby extending its lifespan. The anti-inflammatory mechanism of AQ was further confirmed by western blotting. In summary, the novel oligopeptide AQ possesses potential neuroprotective effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and anti-aging properties, making it a promising candidate for the development of functional foods and pharmaceutical products.

[Therapeutic effect of ursodeoxycholic acid-berberine supramolecular nanoparticles on ulcerative colitis based on supramolecular system induced by weak bond].

Ulcerative colitis(UC) is a recurrent, intractable inflammatory bowel disease. Coptidis Rhizoma and Bovis Calculus, serving as heat-clearing and toxin-removing drugs, have long been used in the treatment of UC. Berberine(BBR) and ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA), the main active components of Coptidis Rhizoma and Bovis Calculus, respectively, were employed to obtain UDCA-BBR supramolecular nanoparticles by stimulated co-decocting process for enhancing the therapeutic effect on UC. As revealed by the characterization of supramolecular nanoparticles by field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and dynamic light scattering(DLS), the supramolecular nanoparticles were tetrahedral nanoparticles with an average particle size of 180 nm. The molecular structure was described by ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and hydrogen-nuclear magnetic resonance(H-NMR) spectroscopy. The results showed that the formation of the supramolecular nano-particle was attributed to the mutual electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction between BBR and UDCA. Additionally, supramolecular nanoparticles were also characterized by sustained release and pH sensitivity. The acute UC model was induced by dextran sulfate sodium(DSS) in mice. It was found that supramolecular nanoparticles could effectively improve body mass reduction and colon shortening in mice with UC(P<0.001) and decrease disease activity index(DAI)(P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences between the supramolecular nanoparticles group and the mechanical mixture group(P<0.001, P<0.05). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6), and the results showed that supramolecular nanoparticles could reduce serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels(P<0.001) and exhibited an obvious difference with the mechanical mixture group(P<0.01, P<0.05). Flow cytometry indicated that supramolecular nanoparticles could reduce the recruitment of neutrophils in the lamina propria of the colon(P<0.05), which was significantly different from the mechanical mixture group(P<0.05). These findings suggested that as compared with the mechanical mixture, the supramolecular nanoparticles could effectively improve the symptoms of acute UC in mice. The study provides a new research idea for the poor absorption of small molecules and the unsatisfactory therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine and lays a foundation for the research on the nano-drug delivery system of traditional Chinese medicine.

Reconciling reported and unreported HFC emissions with atmospheric observations.

We infer global and regional emissions of five of the most abundant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) using atmospheric measurements from the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment and the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan, networks. We find that the total CO2-equivalent emissions of the five HFCs from countries that are required to provide detailed, annual reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) increased from 198 (175-221) Tg-CO2-eq ⋅ y(-1) in 2007 to 275 (246-304) Tg-CO2-eq ⋅ y(-1) in 2012. These global warming potential-weighted aggregated emissions agree well with those reported to the UNFCCC throughout this period and indicate that the gap between reported emissions and global HFC emissions derived from atmospheric trends is almost entirely due to emissions from nonreporting countries. However, our measurement-based estimates of individual HFC species suggest that emissions, from reporting countries, of the most abundant HFC, HFC-134a, were only 79% (63-95%) of the UNFCCC inventory total, while other HFC emissions were significantly greater than the reported values. These results suggest that there are inaccuracies in the reporting methods for individual HFCs, which appear to cancel when aggregated together.

Source identification and apportionment of halogenated compounds observed at a remote site in East Asia.

The sources of halogenated compounds in East Asia associated with stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change are relatively poorly understood. High-precision in situ measurements of 18 halogenated compounds and carbonyl sulfide (COS) made at Gosan, Jeju Island, Korea, from November 2007 to December 2011 were analyzed by a positive matrix factorization (PMF). Seven major industrial sources were identified from the enhanced concentrations of halogenated compounds observed at Gosan and corresponding concentration-based source contributions were also suggested: primary aluminum production explaining 37% of total concentration enhancements, solvent usage of which source apportionment is 25%, fugitive emissions from HCFC/HFC production with 11%, refrigerant replacements (9%), semiconductor/electronics industry (9%), foam blowing agents (6%), and fumigation (3%). Statistical trajectory analysis was applied to specify the potential emission regions for seven sources using back trajectories. Primary aluminum production, solvent usage and fugitive emission sources were mainly contributed by China. Semiconductor/electronics sources were dominantly located in Korea. Refrigerant replacement, fumigation and foam blowing agent sources were spread throughout East Asian countries. The specified potential source regions are consistent with country-based consumptions and emission patterns, verifying the PMF analysis results. The industry-based emission sources of halogenated compounds identified in this study help improve our understanding of the East Asian countries' industrial contributions to halogenated compound emissions.

Emissions of halogenated compounds in East Asia determined from measurements at Jeju Island, Korea.

High-frequency in situ measurements at Gosan (Jeju Island, Korea) during November 2007 to December 2008 have been combined with interspecies correlation analysis to estimate national emissions of halogenated compounds (HCs) in East Asia, including the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)), and other chlorinated and brominated compounds. Our results suggest that overall China is the dominant emitter of HCs in East Asia, however significant emissions are also found in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan for HFC-134a, HFC-143a, C(2)F(6), SF(6), CH(3)CCl(3), and HFC-365mfc. The combined emissions of CFCs, halon-1211, HCFCs, HFCs, PFCs, and SF(6) from all four countries in 2008 are 25.3, 1.6, 135, 42.6, 3.6, and 2.0 kt/a, respectively. They account for approximately 15%, 26%, 29%, 16%, 32%, and 26.5% of global emissions, respectively. Our results show signs that Japan has successfully phased out CFCs and HCFCs in compliance with the Montreal Protocol (MP), Korea has started transitioning from HCFCs to HFCs, while China still significantly consumes HCFCs. Taiwan, while not directly regulated under the MP, is shown to have adapted the use of HFCs. Combined analysis of emission rates and the interspecies correlation matrix presented in this study proves to be a powerful tool for monitoring and diagnosing changes in consumption of HCs in East Asia.

A recurrent mutation in CRYGD is associated with autosomal dominant congenital coralliform cataract in two unrelated Chinese families.

PURPOSE: Congenital cataract is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous lens disorder. The purpose of this study was to identify the mutation responsible for autosomal dominant congenital coralliform cataracts in two Chinese families and to investigate the relationship between virulence genes and lens morphology. METHODS: Patients received a physical examination, and blood samples were collected for DNA extraction. Mutation analysis was performed by direct sequencing of the candidate genes: gammaC-crystallin (CRYGC), gammaD-crystallin (CRYGD), gammaS-crystallin (CRYGS), gap-junction protein, alpha 8 (GJA8), gap-junction protein, alpha 3 (GJA3), and alphaA-crystallin (CRYAA). RESULTS: The affected individuals in two families had congenital coralliform cataracts. Mutational analysis of the CRYGD identified a C→A transversion at nucleotide position c.70 in exon 2, which resulted in a threonine substitution for proline at amino-acid residue 24 (P24T). This mutation was identified in all affected individuals but was not found in healthy relatives or 100 control chromosomes from the same ethnic background. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the P24T mutation of CRYGD was responsible for two Chinese pedigrees with congenital coralliform cataracts. CRYGD and coralliform cataracts are highly related, and P24T may be a hot-point mutation for this disorder.