Functionality of Silk Cocoon (Bombyx mori L.) Sericin Extracts Obtained through High-Temperature Hydrothermal Method.

Sericin, a textile waste, can be used for antioxidant and skin-whitening purposes. The hydrothermal method of extracting sericin is more eco-friendly than are chemical and enzymatic methods. In this study, silk cocoons were cut into pieces and then subjected to hydrothermal extraction at three temperatures (160, 200, and 220 °C) to obtain sericin extracts (Sericin160, Sericin200, and Sericin220, respectively). Antioxidant activity and tyrosinase inhibition were measured to determine the extracts' effectiveness. Sericin220 was the strongest antioxidant, with total phenol content, total flavonoid content, and ferric reducing power of 62.19 ± 0.04 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight, 0.07 ± 0.01 mg quercetin equivalent/g dry weight, and 181.49 ± 0.024 mg vitamin C equivalent/g dry weight, respectively. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations for DPPH and ABTS free-radical scavenging ability were 6.41 ± 0.05 and 0.79 ± 0.37 mg/mL, respectively. Sericin220 also exhibited the highest tyrosinase inhibition activity (70.82 ± 4.1 mg vitamin C equivalent/g), indicating its whitening potential.

Effects of Different Chenopodium formosanum Parts on Antioxidant Capacity and Optimal Extraction Analysis by Taguchi Method.

Chenopodium formosanum (CF), rich in nutrients and antioxidants, is a native plant in Taiwan. During the harvest, the seeds are collected, while the roots, stems, and leaves remain on the field as agricultural waste. In this study, di(phenyl)-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl)iminoazanium (DPPH) radical scavenging ability and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging ability experiments of seeds, leaves, stems, and roots were designed using the Taguchi method (TM) under three conditions: Ethanol concentration (0-100%), temperature (25-65 °C), and extraction time (30-150 min). The result demonstrates that seeds and leaves have higher radical scavenging ability than stems and roots. Many studies focused on CF seeds. Therefore, this study selected CF leaves and optimized DPPH, ABTS, total phenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and reducing power (RP) through TM, showing that the predicted value of the leaf is close to the actual value. The optimized results of CF leaves were DPPH 85.22%, ABTS 46.51%, TPC 116.54 µg GAE/mL, TFC 143.46 µg QE/mL, and RP 23.29 µg VCE (vitamin C equivalent)/mL. The DPPH and ABTS of CF leaves were second only to the results of CF seeds. It can be seen that CF leaves have the potential as a source of antioxidants and help in waste reduction.

Bootstrap simulations for evaluating the model estimation of the extent of cross-pollination in maize at the field-scale level.

With the recent advent of genetic engineering, numerous genetically modified (GM) crops have been developed, and field planting has been initiated. In open-environment cultivation, the cross-pollination (CP) of GM crops with wild relatives, conventional crops, and organic crops can occur. This exchange of genetic material results in the gene flow phenomenon. Consequently, studies of gene flow among GM crops have primarily focused on the extent of CP between the pollen source plot and the adjacent recipient field. In the present study, Black Pearl Waxy Corn (a variety of purple glutinous maize) was used to simulate a GM-maize pollen source. The pollen recipient was Tainan No. 23 Corn (a variety of white glutinous maize). The CP rate (%) was calculated according to the xenia effect on kernel color. We assessed the suitability of common empirical models of pollen-mediated gene flow (PMGF) for GM maize, and the field border (FB) effect of the model was considered for small-scale farming systems in Asia. Field-scale data were used to construct an optimal model for maize PMGF in the maize-producing areas of Chiayi County, southern Taiwan (R.O.C). Moreover, each model was verified through simulation and by using the 95% percentile bootstrap confidence interval length. According to the results, a model incorporating both the distance from the source and the FB can have optimal fitting and predictive abilities.

Effectiveness of different sampling schemes in predicting adventitious genetically modified maize content in a smallholder farming system.

When genetically modified (GM) maize is planted in an open field, it may cross-pollinate with the nearby non-GM maize under certain airflow conditions. Suitable sampling methods are crucial for tracing adventitious GM content. By using field data and bootstrap simulation, we evaluated the performance of common sampling schemes to determine the adventitious GM content in small maize fields in Taiwan. A pollen dispersal model that considered the effect of field borders, which are common in Asian agricultural landscapes, was used to predict the cross-pollination (CP) rate. For the 2009-1 field data, the six-transect (Tsix), JM method for low expected flow (JM[L]), JM method for high expected flow (JM[H]), and V-shaped transect (TV) methods performed comparably to simple random sampling (SRS). Tsix, TV, JM(L), and JM(H) required only 13% or less of the sample size required by SRS. After the simulation and verification of the 2009-2 and 2010-1 field data, we concluded that Tsix, TV, JM(L), and systematic random sampling methods performed equally as well as SRS in CP rate predictions. Our findings can serve as a reference for monitoring the pollen dispersal tendencies of maize in countries with smallholder farming systems.

Antioxidation and Melanogenesis Inhibition of Various Dendrobium tosaense Extracts.

This study investigated the polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and inhibition ability of mushroom tyrosinase and melanogenesis of Dendrobium tosaense (DT) extract. Ground DT was extracted using deionized water (W) or 50% ethanol (50E) at room temperature (RT) or 50 °C (50T) for 20 min. The 50T + 50E extract exhibited the highest total phenol content 47.0 ± 4.0 mg gallic acid equivalent/g DT extract, the highest level of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) free-radical scavenging 66.0 ± 3.0 mg Trolox equivalent/g DT extract, and the highest reducing power 12.00 ± 0.50 mg vitamin C equivalent/g DT extract. The RT + W extract had the highest total flavonoid content 110.0 ± 3.0 mg quercetin equivalent/g DT extract. The RT + 50E extract had the lowest half maximal inhibitory concentration 1.30 ± 0.00 mg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free-radical scavenging, and the lowest half maximal inhibitory concentration 6.40 ± 0.30 mg/mL for mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity. DT extracts, especially RT + W and 50T + W, exhibited potent inhibitory effects on melanogenesis of B16/F10 cells. These results demonstrated the application potential of DT extract for skincare.

The phytogestrogenic stilbenes, arachidin-1 and resveratrol, modulate regulatory T cell functions responsible for successful aging in aged ICR mice.

CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are recognized as a distinctive T helper cell population which controls immunosuppression during the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance and immunohomeostasis. Sex steroids modulate fundamental immune functions, including immune cell development, differentiation and polarization, and facilitate specific immunophysiological microenvironments, such as pregnancy. The supplementation of exogenous phytoestrogens is beneficial to post-menopausal women. Stilbenes are a potent group of phytoestrogens, of which resveratrol (Res) is a well-known representative exhibiting a variety of immunomodulatory activities, including the attenuation of autoimmune diseases and boosting anti-tumor immunity. In the present study, arachidin-1 (Ara­1) and Res, primary stilbenes, enriched in peanut sprouts as phytoalexins, were investigated for their immunomodulatory properties for successful aging. We found that similar to 17-ß-estradiol (E2), Ara­1 or Res significantly inhibited concanavalin A (ConA)-activated lymphoblastogenesis of cell repertories from splenic or thymic origins. However, these inhibitory effects were partially reversed by the E2 receptor blocker, tamoxifen. While the ratios of the CD4+CD25+ cell population of ConA-activated T cell repertories were not significantly altered, treatment with E2, Ara­1 or Res led to an increase in the number of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein 4 (CTLA-4; also known as CD152)-positive cells and in the gene expression levels of CTLA-4, Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3), interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß). When low (L-S-PNT) and high (H-S-PNT) levels of stilbene-enriched peanut sprout-fortified diets were provided ad libitum to 12­week-old ICR mice for 48 weeks, their circulating Treg populations were assessed following magnetic bead enrichment. The gene expression levels of CTLA-4 and TGF-ß were significantly (P<0.05) elevated, as assessed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. The findings of the present study support the beneficial roles of the phytoestrogenic stilbenes, Res and Ara­1, in facilitating a successful aging immune status which may attribute to longevity.

Two stages weighted sampling strategy for detecting the relation between gene expression and disease.

For microarray data analysis, most of them focus on selecting relevant genes and calculating the classification accuracy by the selected relevant genes. This paper wants to detect the relation between the gene expression levels and the classes of a cancer (or a disease) to assist researchers for initial diagnosis. The proposed method is called a Two Stages Weighted Sampling strategy (TSWS strategy). According to the results, the performance of TSWS strategy is better than other existing methods in terms of the classification accuracy and the number of selected relevant genes. Furthermore, TSWS strategy also can use to understand and detect the relation between the gene expression levels and the classes of a cancer (or a disease).

The effect of flowering time and distance between pollen source and recipient on maize.

Field experiments were conducted in Central Taiwan for 2 crop seasons to examine the effect of non-coincidence flowering on the cross-pollination (CP) rate of maize at various distances. Four local maize hybrid varieties with different flowering dates and one local maize variety were sown as the pollen sources and recipient, respectively. All varieties were sown on the same day to simulate the real situation of coexistence in which adjacent fields are sown with different genetically modified (GM) and non-GM varieties of maize. The CP rate was <0.2% at a distance of 3 m for the first crop season when the flowering time for the recipient was 5 d later than that of the pollen source variety. The CP rate was <0.02% at all distances for the second season when the flowering time for the recipient was 7 d later than that of the pollen source variety. The CP rate was <1% at a distance of 0.75 m when the flowering time was 3 d later. However, varieties with closer synchrony may result in a CP rate of >1% at a distance of 1.5 m and <1% at 2.25 m. Temporal separation and isolation distances can work together in Taiwan with fragmented landscapes to minimize the adventitious presence of one crop with another.

Antitumor effects of the partially purified polysaccharides from Antrodia camphorata and the mechanism of its action.

Antrodia camphorata is a popular folk medicine that has attracted great attention due to its fame for antitumor activity against cancer. However, there is little information available about its action. In the present study, we purified a unique polysaccharide component from A. camphorata mycelia (AC-PS) and found that it has pronounced anti-tumor effects on both in vitro and in vivo model. Our results showed that AC-PS alone did not show any direct cytotoxic effect to human leukemic U937 cells, even at high concentration (200 microg/ml). However, it could inhibit the proliferation of U937 cells via activation of mononuclear cells (MNCs). Treatment of U937 cells with AC-PS-stimulated-MNC-CM could significantly inhibit its proliferation with 55.3% growth inhibition rate. The in vitro antitumor activity was substantiated by the in vivo therapeutical study of AC-PS in sarcoma 180-bearing mice. Intraperitoneal and oral administration of AC-PS, 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly suppressed the tumor growth with the inhibition rate of 69.1% and 58.8%, respectively. In vivo studies also showed that several immunoparameters, such as the spontaneous proliferation of spleen cells, after AC-PS administration, were two-fold higher than in control mice. Furthermore, the cytolytic activity of spleen cells also increased from 9.8 +/- 1.1% in control mice to 34.2 +/- 5.5% and 48.2 +/- 2.5%, after oral and intraperitoneal treatment, respectively. Besides, the mice serum interleukin-12 levels increased significantly by AC-PS treatment. Considering all these results, it is suggested that AC-PS elicit its anti-tumor effect by promoting a Th1-dominant state and killer activities.