Exploring the emerging role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in plant biology: Functions, mechanisms of action, and future directions.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNA transcripts that surpass 200 nucleotides in length and lack discernible coding potential. LncRNAs that have been functionally characterized have pivotal functions in several plant processes, including the regulation of flowering, and development of lateral roots. It also plays a crucial role in the plant's response to abiotic stressors and exhibits vital activities in environmental adaptation. The progress in NGS (next-generation sequencing) and functional genomics technology has facilitated the discovery of lncRNA in plant species. This review is a brief explanation of lncRNA genomics, its molecular role, and the mechanism of action in plants. The review also addresses the challenges encountered in this field and highlights promising molecular and computational methodologies that can aid in the comparative and functional analysis of lncRNAs.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Modeling Techniques in Unraveling the Underlying Mechanism of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium aganist Type 2 Diabetic Osteoporosis.

Type 2 diabetic osteoporosis (T2DOP) is a common complication in diabetic patients that seriously affects their health and quality of life. The pathogenesis of T2DOP is complex, and there are no targeted governance means in modern medicine. Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has a long history and has been used in the treatment of osteoporosis diseases. However, the molecular mechanism for the CRP treatment of T2DOP is not clear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of CRP for the treatment of T2DOP by using network pharmacology and molecular modeling techniques. By retrieving multiple databases, we obtained 5 bioactive compounds and 63 common targets of bioactive compounds with T2DOP, and identified AKT 1, TP 53, JUN, BCL 2, MAPK 1, NFKB 1, and ESR 1 as the core targets of their PPI network. Enrichment analysis revealed that these targets were mainly enriched in the estrogen signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetics, which were mainly related to oxidative stress and hormonal regulation. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations have shown the excellent binding effect of the bioactive compounds of CRP and the core targets. These findings reveal that CRP may ameliorate T2DOP through multiple multicomponent and multitarget pathways.

Targeted delivery of nutraceuticals derived from food for the treatment of obesity and its related complications.

Nutraceuticals which are abundant in foods have attracted much attention due to their bioactive activities of anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia and anti-atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, the poor bioavailability severely undermines their envisioned benefits. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop suitable delivery systems to promote the benefits of their biological activity. Targeted drug delivery system (TDDS) is a novel drug delivery system that can selectively concentrate drugs on targets in the body, improve the bioavailability of agents and reduce side effects. This emerging drug delivery system provides a new strategy for the treatment of obesity with nutraceuticals and would be a promising alternative to be widely used in the food field. This review summarizes the recent studies on the application in the targeted delivery of nutraceuticals for treating obesity and its related complications, especially the available receptors and their corresponding ligands for TDDS and the evaluation methods of the targeting ability.

Deep learning drives efficient discovery of novel antihypertensive peptides from soybean protein isolate.

As a potential and effective substitute for the drugs of antihypertension, the food-derived antihypertensive peptides have arisen great interest in scholars recently. However, the traditional screening methods for antihypertensive peptides are at considerable expense and laborious, which blocks the exploration of available antihypertensive peptides. In our study, we reported the use of a protein-specific deep learning model called ProtBERT to screen for antihypertensive peptides. Compared to other deep learning models, ProrBERT reached the highest the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.9785. In addition, we used ProtBERT to screen candidate peptides in soybean protein isolate (SPI), followed by molecular docking and in vitro validation, and eventually found that peptides LVPFGW (IC50 = 20.63 µM), VSFPVL (2.57 µM), and VLPF (5.78 µM) demonstrated the good antihypertensive activity. Deep learning such as ProtBERT will be a useful tool for the rapid screening and identification of antihypertensive peptides.

Capsaicin Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice via Remodeling Gut Microbiota.

Capsaicin is a pungent alkaloid abundantly present in peppers with outstanding biological activities, including the anti-atherosclerosis effect. Previous studies revealed that gut microbiota played an important role in the beneficial effects of capsaicin, but whether it is essential for the anti-atherosclerosis effect of capsaicin is unclear. This study evaluated the anti-atherosclerosis effect of capsaicin in ApoE-/- mice and further explored the role of depleting gut microbiota in the improvement of atherosclerosis. The results showed that capsaicin administration could prevent the development of atherosclerosis and improve serum lipids and inflammation, while antibiotic intervention abolished the alleviation of atherosclerosis by capsaicin. In addition, capsaicin administration could significantly increase the abundance of Turicibacter, Odoribacter, and Ileibacterium in feces, and decrease the abundance of deoxycholic acid, cholic acid, hypoxanthine, and stercobilin in cecal content. Our study provides evidence that gut microbiota plays a critical role in the anti-atherosclerosis effect of capsaicin.

[The impact of antepartum injection of hepatitis B immunoglobulin on maternal serum HBV DNA and anti-HBs in the newborns].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of antepartum injection of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) on the maternal serum HBV DNA and the delivery of anti-HBs to the newborns. METHODS: Before and after injection of three doses of HBIG, Serum HBV DNA levels were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR in 10 non-pregnant and 23 pregnant women of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier state. In addition, serum anti-HBs were tested by an enzyme-linked immunoassay in 28 infants born to chronic HBV carrier mothers who received three doses of HBIG during the last trimester pregnancy. RESULTS: Before and after injection of three doses of HBIG the serum HBV DNA levels in 10 non-pregnant and 23 pregnant women of HBV carrier state were not statistically different [(8.18 +/- 0.50) lg copies/ml vs (7.64 +/- 0.41) lg copies/ml and (6.83 +/- 1.51) lg copies/ml vs (6.83 +/- 1.29) lg copies/ml, respectively]. None of the 28 newborns were positive for anti-HBs. CONCLUSION: The administration of three doses of HBIG during the last trimester pregnancy can not reduce the maternal serum HBV DNA levels and the injected HBIG can not be transferred to their newborns. Therefore, there is no sound evidence to support the use of this approach to block mother-to-infant HBV transmission.