Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of ten Pittosporum species from East Asia.

Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) is famous as the ornamental and medical values, which is distributed tropical and subtropical regions of Eastern Hemisphere. The few phylogenetic studies have included samples from the Pacific Island, but the phylogenetic relationships of Asian species has not been studied. Here, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of ten Pittosporum species from East Asia were first sequenced and compared with those of the published species of this genus. Our results indicated that cp genomes of these species had a typical and conserved quadripartite structure. 131 genes were identical in order and orientation and no changes of inverted repeat (IR) occurred. However, the comparative analysis of cp genomes suggested that sequence divergence mainly appeared in non-coding or intergenic regions, in which several divergence hotspots were identified. By contrast, protein-coding genes showed the lowest variance under strong purifying selection. Phylogenetic analysis based on the cp genome sequences showed that the tested Pittosporum species were clustered into two major clades, in which the Asian species formed Clade I and the remaining species from Australia and New Zealand formed Clade II with high support values, which was consistent with the results of ITS data with low support values. These results suggested that cp genome is a robust phylogenetic indicator for deep nodes in the phylogeny of Pittosporum. Meanwhile, these results will provide the valuable information to better understand the phylogeny and biogeography of Pittosporum.

Phytochemistry of Red Ginseng, a Steam-Processed Panax ginseng.

Asian ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, occupies a prominent position in the list of best-selling natural products in the world. There are two major types of ginseng roots: white ginseng and red ginseng, each with numerous preparations. White ginseng is prepared by air-drying fresh Asian ginseng roots after harvest. Red ginseng is prepared by steaming roots in controlled conditions using fresh or raw Asian ginseng. Red ginseng is commonly used in Asian countries due to its unique chemical profile, different therapeutic efficacy, and increased stability. Compared with the widespread research on white ginseng, the study of red ginseng is relatively limited. In this paper, after a botanical feature description, the structures of different types of constituents in red ginseng are systematically described, including naturally occurring compounds and those resulting from the steam processing. In red ginseng phytochemical studies, the number of published reports on ginsenosides is significantly higher than that for other constituents. Up to now, 57 ginsenosides have been isolated and characterized in red ginseng. The structural transformation pathways during steaming have been summarized. In comparison with white ginseng, red ginseng also contains other constituents, including polyacetylenes, Maillard reaction products, other types of glycosides, lignans, amino acids, fatty acids, and polysaccharides, which have also been presented. Appropriate analytical methods are necessary for differentiating between unprocessed white ginseng and processed red ginseng. Specific marker compounds and chemical profiles have been used to discriminate red ginseng from white ginseng and adulterated commercial products. Additionally, a brief phytochemical profile comparison has been made between white ginseng and black ginseng, and the latter is another type of processed ginseng prepared from white or red ginseng by steaming several times. In conclusion, to ensure the safe and effective use of red ginseng, phytochemical and analytical studies of its constituents are necessary and even crucial.

Ruthenium-dihydroartemisinin complex: a promising new compound for colon cancer prevention via G1 cell cycle arrest, apoptotic induction, and adaptive immune regulation.

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin (ART) and its derivatives are important antimalaria agents and have received increased attention due to their broad biomedical effects, such as anticancer and anti-inflammation activities. Recently, ruthenium-derived complexes have attracted considerable attention as their anticancer potentials were observed in preclinical and clinical studies. METHODS: To explore an innovative approach in colorectal cancer (CRC) management, we synthesized ruthenium-dihydroartemisinin complex (D-Ru), a novel metal-based artemisinin derivative molecule, and investigated its anticancer, anti-inflammation, and adaptive immune regulatory properties. RESULTS: Compared with its parent compound, ART, D-Ru showed stronger antiproliferative effects on the human CRC cell lines HCT-116 and HT-29. The cancer cell inhibition of D-Ru comprised G1 cell cycle arrest via the downregulation of cyclin A and the induction of apoptosis. ART and D-Ru downregulated the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-8. Although ART and D-Ru did not suppress Treg cell differentiation, they significantly inhibited Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that D-Ru, a novel ruthenium complexation of ART, remarkably enhanced its parent compound's anticancer action, while the anti-inflammatory potential was not compromised. The molecular mechanisms of action of D-Ru include inhibition of cancer cell growth via cell cycle arrest, induction of apoptosis, and anti-inflammation via regulation of adaptive immunity.

Laboratory-adapted and wild-type black soldier flies express differential plasticity in bioconversion and nutrition when reared on urban food waste streams.

BACKGROUND: The black soldier fly (BSF) offers a potential solution to address shortages of feed and food sources; however, selecting effective rearing substrates remains a major hurdle in BSF farming. In an urban area like Singapore, current practice is based on rearing BSF on homogeneous waste streams (e.g., spent brewery grains or okara) because heterogeneous food wastes (e.g., mixed kitchen/canteen waste or surplus cooked food) present several operational challenges with respect to the standardization of development, nutritional content, and harvesting. RESULTS: In this study, we compared two genetic strains of BSF larvae (wild-type and laboratory-adapted line) in a bioconversion experiment with diverse types of food waste (homogeneous/heterogeneous; plant/meat) and we quantified the phenotypic plasticity. Our results demonstrate different plasticity in bioconversion performance, larval growth and larval nutrition between the two BSF lines. This difference may be attributed to the selective breeding the laboratory-adapted line has experienced. Notably, larval lipid content displayed little to no genetic variation for plasticity compared with larval protein and carbohydrate content. Despite variation in larval development, heterogeneous food wastes can produce better performance in bioconversion, larval growth, and larval nutrient content than homogeneous food waste. All-meat diets result in high larvae mortality but larval survival could be rescued by mixing meat with plant-based food wastes. CONCLUSION: Overall, we suggest using mixed meals for BSF larvae feeding. Targeted breeding may be a promising strategy for the BSF industry but it is important to consider the selection effects on plasticity in larval nutrition carefully. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of Curcuminoids and Surfactant-Formulated Curcumin on Chemo-Resistant Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, and chronic gut inflammation is a risk factor for CRC initiation and development. Curcuma longa L., or turmeric, has become one of the most studied herbal medicines in recent years due to its anticancer potentials. It is generally accepted that the major component in turmeric is curcuminoids, and the active constituent in curcuminoids is curcumin. However, unprocessed curcumin is characterized by poor water solubility, which means low bioavailability in humans. To increase the bioavailability of curcumin, in this study, we utilized a novel surfactant-formulated curcumin (CuminUP60[Formula: see text]) and evaluated its CRC chemopreventive activities. Compared with the chemo-sensitive CRC cell line HCT-116, the management of the CRC SW-480 cell line is a challenge, since the latter is chemo-resistant. In other words, these cancer cells resist the effects of the chemotherapy. Using the newly formulated CuminUP60[Formula: see text] water solution, this study demonstrated its strong antiproliferative effects on the SW-480 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This new formulation induced early apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle in the G2/M phase via the upregulation of cyclin B1. We also observed that this new formulation possessed inhibitory effects on Th17 cell differentiation, which regulates the body's immune response against gut malignancies. In summary, our results exhibited a potential clinical utility of the surfactant-formulated curcumin in chemo-resistant colorectal cancer management.

Constructing electrochemical sensor using molecular-imprinted polysaccharide for rapid identification and determination of l-tryptophan in diet.

An imbalance of l-tryptophan (l-Trp), a basic component of a healthy diet, is harmful to human health. Traditional methods for detecting l-Trp have many limitations. To correct a deficiency or excess of l-Trp in human diets, it is necessary to develop a novel method that is rapid, low-cost, and high-sensitivity. Herein, a molecularly imprinted polysaccharide electrochemical sensor termed MIP/CS/MWCNTs/GCE (molecularly imprinted polymer/chitosan/multiwalled carbon nanotubes/glassy carbon electrode) targeting l-Trp was first constructed on a glassy carbon electrode, which was modified with multiwalled carbon nanotubes and chitosan using bifunctional monomers. The MIP/CS/MWCNTs/GCE obtained a wide linear range (1-300 µM) for detecting l-Trp and accurately detected the proportion of l-Trp in mixtures of Trp enantiomers. In milk samples, the spiked recoveries of l-Trp were 86.50 to 99.65%. The MIP/CS/MWCNTs/GCE electrochemical sensor possessed good recognition and detection performance for l-Trp and has promising potential for practical application.

Specific capture and determination of glycoprotein using a hybrid epitopes and monomers-mediated molecular-imprinted polymer enzyme-free electrochemical biosensor.

A novel molecular-imprinted polymer (MIP)-based enzyme-free biosensor was created for the selective detection of glycoprotein transferrin (Trf). For this purpose, MIP-based biosensor for Trf was prepared by electrochemical co-polymerization of novel hybrid monomers 3-aminophenylboronic acid (M-APBA) and pyrrole on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (cMWCNTs). Hybrid epitopes of Trf (C-terminal fragment and glycan) have been selected as templates. The produced sensor exhibited great selective recognition ability toward Trf under optimal preparation conditions, offering good analytical range (0.125-1.25 µM) with a detection limit of 0.024 µM. The proposed hybrid epitope in combination with hybrid monomer-mediated imprinting strategy was successfully applied to detect Trf in spiked human serum samples, with recoveries and relative standard deviations ranging from 94.7 to 106.0% and 2.64 to 5.32%, respectively. This study provided a reliable protocol for preparing hybrid epitopes and monomers-mediated MIP for the synergistic and effective determination of glycoprotein in complicated biological samples.

Swelling of Multilayered Calcium Alginate Microspheres for Drug-Loaded Dressing Induced Rapid Lidocaine Release for Better Pain Control.

The development of effective drug-loaded dressings has been considered a hot research topic for biomedical therapeutics, including the use of botanical compounds. For wound healing, adequate dressings can provide a good microenvironment for drug release, such as lidocaine. Biological macromolecular materials such as alginate show excellent properties in wound management. This study involves the preparation and evaluation of biocompatible multilayered-structure microspheres composed of chitosan, porous gelatin, and calcium alginate microspheres. The multilayered structure microspheres were named chitosan@ porous gelatin@ calcium alginate microspheres (CPAMs) and the drugs were rapidly released by the volume expansion of the calcium alginate microspheres. The in vitro release curve revealed that the peak release of lidocaine from CPAMs was reached within 18[Formula: see text]min. After 21[Formula: see text]min, the remaining lidocaine was then slowly released, and the active drug release was converted to a passive drug release phase. The initial release effect of lidocaine was much better than that reported in the published studies. Additionally, blood coagulation experiments showed that CPAMs coagulated blood in 60[Formula: see text]s, and the blood liquidity of the CPAMs group was worse than that of the woundplast group. Therefore, the coagulation characteristics of CPAMs were superior to the commonly used woundplast containing lidocaine healing gel. These study outcomes indicated that the CPAMs acted as fast-release dressings for faster pain control and better coagulation properties.

Anti-hepatoma Effect of DC2.4 Cells Transfected with Tumor-Associated Antigen Cdc25C In Vitro.

OBJECTIVE: Cell division cyclin 25 homolog C (Cdc25C) is a tumor-associated antigen candidate gene, and this may be used as an effective target in cancer treatment. The present study aims to evaluate the lysis effect of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) induced by dendritic cell line DC2.4 overexpressing Cdc25C, and the feasibility of Cdc25C as a component in hepatoma immunotherapy. METHODS: The mouse Cdc25C gene was ligated into a lentiviral vector, and transfected into DC2.4 cells. The DC2.4 cell phenotype and cytokine secretion were determined by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. CD8+ T cells were sorted from the spleens of C57BL/6 mice using a magnetic bead sorting kit obtained from Miltenyi Biotech, Germany, and co-cultured with DC2.4 cells for one week as effector cells. Then, IL-2, granzyme B and perforin were detected in the CTL culture medium by ELISA. Next, time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay was used to detect the immune killing effect of Cdc25C-specific CTLs on target cells. Meanwhile, the effect of blocking MHC-I sites on target cells with a monoclonal anti-MHC-I antibody was evaluated. RESULTS: The results revealed that Cdc25C could be stably overexpressed in DC2.4 cells by LV-Cdc25C infection. DC2.4 cells transfected with LV-Cdc25C secreted more IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ, and had higher expression levels of CD40, CD86, CCR7 and MHC-II than unaltered DC2.4 cells. The elevated Cdc25C in dendritic cells also further increased the secretion of IL-2, granzyme B and perforin to elicit Cdc25C-specific CTLs, and induced the higher cytotoxicity in Hepa1-6 cell lines (P<0.05), but this had no effect on the target cells when MHC-I monoclonal antibodies were blocked. CONCLUSION: DC2.4 cells transfected with LV-Cdc25C can induce specific CTLs, and result in a strong cellular immune response. The dendritic cells that overexpress Cdc25C may be useful for hepatoma immunotherapy.

An edible molecularly imprinted material prepared by a new environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent for removing oxalic acid from vegetables and human blood.

A novel deep eutectic solvent-magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (DES-MMIP) for the specific removal of oxalic acid (OA) was prepared by an environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent, consisting of betaine, citric acid, and glycerol, which acted as the functional monomer for polymerization. The structure and morphology of DES-MMIPs were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. DES-MMIPs had a core-shell structure, with magnetic iron oxide as the core, and showed good thermal stability and high adsorption capacity (18.73 mg/g) for OA. The adsorption process of OA by DES-MMIPs followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. DES-MMIPs had significant selectivity for OA and their imprinting factor was 3.26. When applied to real samples, high performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that DES-MMIPs could remove OA from both spinach and blood serum. These findings provide potential methods for removal of OA from vegetables and for specific removal of OA in renal dialysis.

Effects of dihydroartemisinin, a metabolite of artemisinin, on colon cancer chemoprevention and adaptive immune regulation.

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin (ART) is an anti-malaria natural compound with a moderate anticancer action. As a metabolite of ART, dihydroartemisinin (DHA) may have stronger anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) bioactivities. However, the effects of DHA and ART on CRC chemoprevention, including adaptive immune regulation, have not been systematically evaluated and compared. METHODS: Coupled with a newly-established HPLC analytical method, enteric microbiome biotransformation was conducted to identify if the DHA is a gut microbial metabolite of ART. The anti-CRC potential of these compounds was compared using two different human CRC cell lines for cell cycle arrest, apoptotic induction, and anti-inflammation activities. Naive CD4+ T cells were also obtained for testing the compounds on the differentiation of Treg, Th1 and Th17. RESULTS: Using compound extraction and analytical methods, we observed for the first time that ART completely converted into its metabolites by gut microbiome within 24 h, but no DHA was detected. Although ART did not obviously influence cancer cell growth in the concentration tested, DHA very significantly inhibited the cancer cell growth at relatively low concentrations. DHA included G2/M cell cycle arrest via upregulation of cyclin A and apoptosis. Both ART and DHA downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. The DHA significantly promoted Treg cell proliferation, while both ART and DHA inhibited Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: As a metabolite of ART, DHA possessed stronger anti-CRC activities. The DHA significantly inhibited cell growth via cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction and anti-inflammation actions. The adaptive immune regulation is a related mechanism of actions for the observed effects.

Synergistic recognition of transferrin by using performance dual epitope imprinted polymers.

Transferrin (Trf) is a new type of active drug targeting carrier and disease biomarker that regulates the balance of iron ions in human body. The recognition and isolation of Trf is of great significance for disease diagnosis and treatment. Thus, a new type of magnetic dual affinity epitope molecularly imprinted polymer coated on Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4@DEMIP) was successfully prepared for specific recognition of Trf. C-terminal nonapeptide and Trf glycan were selected as bi-epitope templates for metal chelation and boron affinity immobilization, respectively. 4-vinylphenylboric acid (4-VP), N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) and zinc acrylic were used as functional monomers. Results showed that Fe3O4@DEMIP exhibited excellent specific recognition ability adsorption capacity toward Trf, with an adsorption of 43.96 mg g-1 (RSD = 3.28%) and a more satisfactory imprinting factor (about 6.60) than that of other reported imprinting methods. In addition, Fe3O4@DEMIP displayed pH, temperature and magnetic sensitivity properties to realize temperature and pH-controlled recognition and release of target proteins and magnetic rapid separation. Furthermore, the Fe3O4@DEMIP coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis was successfully used for specific recognition of Trf in biosamples. This study provides a reliable protocol for preparing metal chelation and boron affinity dual affinity bi-epitope molecularly imprinted polymers for synergistic and efficient recognition of biomacromolecules in the complex biological systems.

Baseline or 90-day fibrinogen levels and long-term outcomes after ischemic stroke or TIA: Results from the China national stroke registry â ¢.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevated fibrinogen levels have been observed in patients with acute ischemic stroke, but the association of fibrinogen with stroke outcomes is still undefined. We aimed to assess the association between baseline or 90-day fibrinogen levels and long-term outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). METHODS: Using data from the China National Stroke Registry Ⅲ, this substudy included 10 518 patients within 7 days (baseline) of onset and 6268 patients at 90 days of recovery. Multivariate Cox regression and logistic regression analyses were used to assess the associations of fibrinogen with poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 3-6), dependence (modified Rankin Scale score 3-5), all-cause death, and stroke recurrence at 1 year. RESULTS: Fibrinogen levels at 90 days were higher than those at baseline (443.5 mg/dl versus 393.7 mg/dl; p < 0.001). A high baseline fibrinogen level was associated with poor functional outcome (odds ratio [OR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35-1.97) and dependence (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.36-2.09) after adjusting for all confounding risk factors. In contrast, further adjustment for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein attenuated the association between baseline fibrinogen level and all-cause death or stroke recurrence. Furthermore, a high 90-day fibrinogen level was also associated with poor functional outcome (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.07-2.00) and dependence (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.03-1.98) after adjusting for all confounding risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: High baseline and 90-day fibrinogen levels were associated with outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke or TIA.

Specific adsorption and determination of aspartame in soft drinks with a zein magnetic molecularly imprinted modified MGCE sensor.

In this work, an efficient and sensitive magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer with zein and deep eutectic solvents (ZDM-MIPs) was designed and synthesized to exclusively adsorb and detect aspartame (ASP). We used zein, together with deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and Fe3O4 as the cross-linker, functional monomer and support material, respectively. A magnetic glassy carbon electrode (MGCE) modified with ZDM-MIPs was used for selective recognition of ASP. The electrochemical response of the ZDM-MIPs-MGCE for quantification of ASP was evaluated with a portable electrochemical detection station with differential pulse voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry. The responses of ZDM-MIPs-MGCE signified a good linear relationship with ASP concentrations in the range of 0.1-50 µg mL-1. The sensor systems showed good accuracy and precision, with recovery percentages between 84% and 107%. These results suggested that the obtained ZDM-MIPs exhibited good adsorption performance for ASP in soft drinks, and this method could be used to determine ASP content in actual food samples.

Selective separation and inexpensive purification of paclitaxel based on molecularly imprinted polymers modified with ternary deep eutectic solvents.

Paclitaxel (PTX) is a powerful anticancer natural product, with its separation and purification having been widely studied. In this work, new molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with different molar ratios were prepared as functional monomers. These were then used as adsorbents in solid phase extraction (SPE) for the separation of PTX from its structural analogs. The polymers were characterized by energy disperive X-rays (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results suggested that the formative regular DES-MIPs had an even pore-size distribution and a large specific surface area. The dynamic adsorption and static adsorption showed that the DES-MIPs had excellent adsorption performance, with a maximum adsorption capacity and optimum adsorption time of 87.08 mg/g and 180 min, respectively. The selective adsorption experiments showed that the material had outstanding selectivity, and the maximum selectivity factor was 6.20. For stability, after six consecutive adsorption and desorption cycles, the DES-MIPs maintained the perfect stability and reusability. Furthermore, the fabricated SPE column was successfully utilized for extracting and eluting PTX. This study provides a reliable protocol for the separation and purification PTX from its structural analogs and the DES-MIPs materials have excellent potential application value in pharmaceutical industry.

Extraction of activated epimedium glycosides in vivo and in vitro by using bifunctional-monomer chitosan magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers and identification by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

In this work, efficient, sensitive bifunctional-monomer chitosan magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (BCMMIPs) were fabricated and successfully applied to concentrate the metabolites of Epimedium flavonoids in rat testis and bone that were later analyzed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Using chitosan and methacrylic acid as co-functional monomers, BCMMIPs exhibited a large adsorption capacity (7.60 mg/g), fast kinetics (60 min), and good selectivity. Chitosan is bio-compatible and non-toxic, and methacrylic acid provides multiple hydrogen bond donors. The BCMMIPs were injected into rat testis to specifically enrich the total flavonoid metabolites in vivo and were used to extract metabolites from bone in vitro. The results showed that the BCMMIPs coupled with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS successfully identified 28 compounds from testis and 18 compounds from bone, including 19 new compounds. This study provided a reliable protocol for the concentration of metabolites from complex biological samples, and several new metabolites of Epimedium flavonoids were found in vivo and in vitro.

Simultaneous extraction of several targets by using non-toxic dual template molecularly imprinted polymers in vivo and in vitro.

In this report, a non-toxic Dual Template Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (DMIPs) was synthesized with quercetin and schisandrin b as template molecules, using deep-eutectic solvents as functional monomers for the first time. The DMIPs were used to efficiently and simultaneously enrich quercetin and schisandrin b from the mixed crude extracts of penthorum and schisandra. The results indicated that the DMIPs exhibited rapid adsorption kinetics (80 min for adsorption equilibrium) and high selectivity. The largest adsorbing capacities to quercetin and schisandrin b were 23.58 mg/g and 41.64 mg/g, respectively. After presaturation with quercetin and schisandrin b, the nontoxic saturated DMIPs were fed to the mice. Blood samples of the mice were taken and both quercetin and schisandrin b were successfully detected. The pharmacokinetics of quercetin and schisandrin b were similar to reports in the literature where mice were directly fed with botanicals. Our study provides a reliable protocol such that DMIPs can be used to separate and enrich several target molecules simultaneously from complex biological systems. Our findings suggested that the DMIPs have potential application as a drug delivery system of compound herbal formulas.

Human intestinal microbiota derived metabolism signature from a North American native botanical Oplopanax horridus with UPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis.

Oplopanax horridus, widely distributed in North America, is an herbal medicine traditionally used by Pacific indigenous peoples for various medical conditions. After oral ingestion, constituents in O. horridus extract (OhE) could be converted to their metabolites by the enteric microbiome before absorption. In this study, in order to mimic gut environment, the OhE was biotransformed using the enteric microbiome of healthy human subjects. For accurate and reliable data collection with optimized approaches in sample preparation and analytical conditions, ultra-performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to characterize parent constituents and their metabolites. In the extract, 20 parent compounds were identified including polyynes, sesquiterpenes, monoterpeondids, phenylpropanoids and phenolic acids. After the biotransformation, a total of 78 metabolites were identified, of which 37 belonged to polyynes metabolites. The common biotransformation pathways are hydroxylation, acetylization, methylation and demethylation. Based on the pathway distributions, the metabolism signature of OhE has been explored. The metabolism pathways of OhE compounds are dependent on their structural classifications and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. In summary, with comprehensive analysis, we systematically investigated human microbiome-derived OhE metabolites. The enteric microbial metabolism signature provides novel information for future effective use of O. horridus.

Specific adsorption of tetracycline from milk by using biocompatible magnetic molecular imprinting material and evaluation by ECD.

Biocompatible magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (BMMIPs) were prepared with Zein for the first time, and were used to enrich tetracycline compounds selectively. Innovative combination of BMMIPs and electrochemistry to obtain lower detection line to satisfy industrial detection demands. Using Zein as the crosslinking agent, the polymers were synthesized on the surface of Fe3O4 particles. The scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and X-ray diffraction technologies were used to characterize BMMIPs. Through optimization, BMMIPs attained large adsorption capacity (236.40 mg/g) with fast kinetics (40 min) and followed the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. BMMIPs had good recognition ability, the selective factors of oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, doxycycline were 4.78, 4.23, and 3.39, respectively. Excellent linearity was attained in the range of 0.025-500 µg/mL, with low detection limits and low quantitation limits of 0.025 and 0.083 µg/mL. According to our exploring, BMMIPs was ideal materials for enrichment of tetracycline in complex biological samples.

Ginseng berry polysaccharides on inflammation-associated colon cancer: inhibiting T-cell differentiation, promoting apoptosis, and enhancing the effects of 5-fluorouracil.

BACKGROUND: Ginseng is a commonly used herbal medicine in treating various medical conditions. Chronic gut inflammation is a recognized factor for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this project, Asian ginseng berry polysaccharide preparations were used to assess their effects on CRC and related immune regulation mechanisms. METHODS: Ginseng berry polysaccharide extract (GBPE) and purified ginseng berry polysaccharide portion (GBPP) were used to evaluate their activities on human HCT-116 and HT-29 CRC cell proliferation. Interleukin-8 secretion analysis was performed on HT-29 cells. Naive CD4 cell isolation and T-helper cell differentiation were performed and determined using flow cytometry for Th1 and Treg in addition to cell cycle and apoptotic investigation. RESULTS: GBPE and GBPP significantly inhibited interleukin-8 secretion and cancer cell proliferation, inhibited CD4+IFN-γ+ cell (Th1) differentiation, and decreased CD4+FoxP3+ cell (Treg) differentiation. Compared to the GBPE, GBPP showed more potent antiinflammatory activities on the malignant cells. This is consistent with the observation that GBPP can also inhibit Th1-cell differentiation better, suggesting that it has an important role in antiinflammation, whereas Treg cells hinder the body's immune response against malignancies. Supported by cell cycle and apoptosis data, GBPE and GBPP, at various degrees, remarkably enhanced the anticancer activities of 5-fluorouracil. CONCLUSION: Data from this project suggested that Asian ginseng berry potentially has clinical utility in managing enteric inflammation and suppressing CRC through immunomodulation mechanisms.