Enhanced in vitro bioavailability of resveratrol-loaded emulsion stabilized by ß-lactoglobulin-catechin with excellent antioxidant activity.

The study aimed to fabricate ß-Lactoglobulin-catechin (ß-La-Ca) conjugates as a natural designed antioxidant emulsifier to improve the physicochemical stability of resveratrol emulsion delivery system. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopy analysis confirmed the formation of conjugates using free radical grafting. The antioxidant ability of emulsion was evaluated by DPPH scavenging activities and ORAC experiments. The emulsion stabilized by ß-La-Ca conjugates exhibited strong antioxidant activity with ORAC value of 2541.39 ± 29.58 µmol TE/g, which was significantly higher than that by ß-Lactoglobulin alone with 387.96 ± 23.45 µmol TE/g or their mixture with 948.23 ± 32.77 µmol TE/g. During the whole simulated gastrointestinal digestion, emulsion stabilized by ß-La-Ca conjugates exhibited excellent oxidative stability that the lipid was mainly digested in the small intestine. This behavior attributed to the greater stability of resveratrol to chemical transformation leading to a higher overall bioavailability in vivo. These results suggested that the ß-La-Ca conjugates could be used to fabricate the emulsion-based delivery system to improve the oxidative stability and bioavailability of chemically labile hydrophobic bioactive compounds.

Potential Anti-Gouty Arthritis of Citronella Essential Oil and Nutmeg Essential Oil through Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR Activation-Induced NLRP3 Activity.

Citronella and Nutmeg are two common spices used for seasoning and medicinal purposes, both of which have significant economic value. This study aimed to investigate whether Citronella essential oil and Nutmeg essential oil (NEO) can ameliorate monosodium urate (MSU)-induced gouty arthritis in rats and the potential mechanisms. The results showed that CEO and NEO reduced swelling and redness at joint sites, inhibited neutrophil infiltration, and limited proinflammatory mediator secretion in mice with MSU-induced gouty arthritis. Based on the results of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and western blotting, CEO and NEO may exert anti-gouty arthritis effects by reducing the expression of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress and downregulating the phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the production of the NLRP3 inflammasome and inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, these two essential oils show potential for use as adjuvant treatments for gouty arthritis in specific aromatherapy products or food seasonings.

Trans-cinnamaldehyde fumigation inhibits Escherichia coli by affecting the mechanism of intracellular biological macromolecules.

This study aimed to determine the antibacterial mechanism of cinnamaldehyde fumigation in Escherichia coli (E. coli). Through vapour fumigation, cinnamaldehyde was confirmed to exhibit effective antibacterial activity against E. coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) were 0.25 µL/mL and 0.5 µL/mL, respectively. Based on transmission electron microscopy, the wrinkled bacterial cells observed after fumigation could be related to the leakage of intracellular substances. Laser tweezers Raman spectroscopy revealed changes in the main chain of proteins, the hydrogen bond system and spatial structure, and single- and double-stranded DNA breaks. In addition, breakage of the fatty acyl chain backbone was found to affect the vertical order degree of the lipid bilayer and cell membrane fluidity, thereby inhibiting the growth of E. coli. Overall, our findings indicate that cinnamaldehyde fumigation inhibits E. coli growth by inducing changes in intracellular biological macromolecules.

Effect of cinnamon essential oil dietary supplementation on the growth, fatty acid composition, and meat quality of tilapia.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of 0%, 0.2%, 0.35%, and 0.5% cinnamon essential oil on growth performance, fatty acid, and fillet quality of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The results of growth experiments showed that the weight gain rate linearly and quadratically increased with increasing cinnamon essential oil doses (p < 0.05). The results of fatty acids experiments showed that the addition of essential oil significantly decreased the saturated fatty acids levels from 36.67% to 30.82% and increased the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) levels from 24.55% to 46.89%; especially, the n - 3 PUFA of 0.5% essential oil treatment showed the highest levels. Moreover, the n - 6 PUFA of 0.2% essential oil treatment were increased from 22.17% to 32.99%. The results of fillet quality experiments showed that the hardness and cohesiveness were linearly and quadratically increased with the increasing essential oil doses on days 4 and 7, respectively. The b* values linearly and quadratically decreased as the doses increased on day 7 (p < 0.05). The total volatile basic nitrogen levels were quadratically decreased with increasing cinnamon essential oil doses on day 7 (p < 0.05). In general, it can be concluded that cinnamon essential oil presented positive effects on the growth, nutritive values, and meat quality in tilapia.

Study on the formation and anti-biofilm properties of cinnamon essential oil inclusion complexes by the structure of modified ß-cyclodextrins.

Essential oils (EOs), which are plant-oriented anti-biofilm agents, are extensively encapsulated by cyclodextrins to overcome their aqueous solubility and chemical instability, and achieve slow release during long-term storage. However, the biological activities of EOs decreased after initial encapsulation in CDs. In this study, modified-ß-cyclodextrins (ß-CDs) were screened as wall materials to maintained the initial anti-biofilm effect of pure CEO. The inhibitory and bactericidal activities of CEO encapsulated in five types of ß-CDs with different substituents (primary hydroxyl, maltosyl, hydroxypropyl, methyl, and carboxymethyl) against Staphylococcus aureus biofilm were evaluated. Crystal violet assay and 3D-View observations suggested that CEO and its inclusion complexes (CEO-ICs) inhibited Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation through the inhibition of colonising spreading, exopolysaccharide synthesis, and cell surface properties. Molecular docking revealed the causes of the decrease in the anti-biofilm effect after encapsulation, and quantitative structure-activity relationship assays provided MIC and MBIC prediction equation for modified-ß-cyclodextrins inclusion complexes. Maltosyl-ß-CD was screened as the best wall material to retained the anti-biofilm activities as pure cinnamon essential oil in initial stage, and its inclusion complexes can effectively inhibited biofilm formation in milk. This study provides a theoretical guidance for the selection ß-CDs to encapsulate CEO as plant-oriented anti-biofilm agents to inhibit bacterial biofilm formation.

Enhanced mechanical and functional properties of chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/alizarin composite film by incorporating cinnamon essential oil and tea polyphenols.

In this study, cinnamon essential oil and tea polyphenols were added to chitosan/ polyvinyl alcohol/ hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/ alizarin composite films to enhance their mechanical and functional properties. Their addition to the composite films enhanced their antibacterial and antioxidant properties and significantly improved its elongation at break (p < 0.05). Cinnamon essential oil reduced the water vapor permeability, water content, and water solubility of composite films and improved their transparency. The composite films with additive exhibited excellent UV-barrier ability and pH responsivity. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction analyses confirmed hydrogen bond formation between the polymer molecules and additives. The results of Scanning Electron Microscope-Focused Ion Beam revealed improved surface and cross-section morphology of the films, leading to the generation of a cross-linked structure. Thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry analysis indicated enhanced thermal stability of the composite films upon cinnamon essential oil addition. Analysis of storage quality indicators (TBARS value, TVC, and TVB-N) revealed that the composite films could prolong the freshness of surimi. The incorporation of cinnamon essential oil and tea polyphenols into the composite films has demonstrated significant potential as an effective and natural alternative for active food packaging.

Study of antimicrobial activity and mechanism of vapor-phase cinnamaldehyde for killing Escherichia coli based on fumigation method.

The vapor-phase antibacterial activity of essential oils makes them suitable for applications in air disinfection and other fields. At present, vapor-phase antibacterial activity of plant-based essential oils has rarely been reported. Herein, we report a new approach to investigate the antimicrobial activity and mechanism of vapor-phase cinnamaldehyde using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and three other pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus) as model bacteria. Plate fumigation and agar block transfer techniques were used to determine the antimicrobial activities of vapor-phase cinnamaldehyde fumigation on the four types of bacteria, and the mechanism of action was determined by electrical conductivity (EC), OD260nm measurement, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and fluorescence spectroscopy. Cinnamaldehyde had good vapor-phase antibacterial activity against the four types of bacteria. The TEM, EC, and OD260nm measurements showed that after fumigation with cinnamaldehyde, the ultrastructures of the cells were damaged, and plasmolysis, cell collapse, and leakage of intracellular substances were observed. The FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopy analyses showed that the secondary and tertiary structures of bacterial membrane proteins were altered. These findings indicate that the cell membrane is an important target for plant-based essential oils to exert their vapor-phase antimicrobial effects. The results showed that plant-based essential oils can be developed as volatile broad-spectrum disinfection products and vapor-phase antiseptics.

Preparation and antibacterial and antioxidant ability of ß-cyclodextrin complexes of vaporized Illicium verum essential oil.

Compared with traditional liquid-liquid embedding method and solid-liquid embedding method of inclusion complexes of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) inclusion of essential oil to form stable properties, the gas-liquid embedding method was applied to encapsulate vaporized illicium verum essential oil (IvEO), with ß-CD as wall materials so that core and wall materials molecules are in active state during complexing process. At optimal conditions with a mass ratio of 1:10, temperature of 80°C, time of 1 h, the ß-CD-IvEO inclusion complexes (ß-CD-IvEO-ICs) had an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 84.55 ± 2.31%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed the encapsulation of IvEO into inclusion complexes, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated the enhanced thermal stability of IvEO after embedding. Furthermore, the reducing power and 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO)-scavenging capacity displayed certain capacity of antioxidation in a short time but stronger antioxidative activities as reaction time was extended. The diameter of growth zone (DGZ) indicated stronger antibacterial activity of ß-CD-IvEO-ICs against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the ß-CD-IvEO-ICs could induce the bacteria producing more reactive oxygen species (ROS) than IvEO, resulting in bacterial death.

Encapsulation Efficiency and Functional Stability of Cinnamon Essential Oil in Modified ß-cyclodextrins: In Vitro and In Silico Evidence.

Essential oils (EOs) have good natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties; however, their volatility, intense aroma, poor aqueous solubility, and chemical instability limit their applications in the food industry. The encapsulation of EOs in ß-cyclodextrins (ß-CDs) is a widely accepted strategy for enhancing EO applications. The complexation of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) with five types of ß-CDs, containing different substituent groups (ß-CD with primary hydroxyl, Mal-ß-CD with maltosyl, CM-ß-CD with carboxymethyl, HP-ß-CD with hydroxypropyl, and DM-ß-CD with methyl), inclusion process behaviors, volatile components, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the solid complexes were studied. The CEOs complexed with Mal-ß-CD, CM-ß-CD, and ß-CD were less soluble than those complexed with DM-ß-CD and HP-ß-CD. Molecular docking confirmed the insertion of the cinnamaldehyde benzene ring into various ß-CD cavities via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. GC-MS analysis revealed that HP-ß-CD had the greatest adaptability to cinnamaldehyde. The CEO encapsulated in ß-, Mal-ß-, and CM-ß-CD showed lower solubility but better control-release characteristics than those encapsulated in DM- and HP-ß-CD, thereby increasing their antioxidant and antibacterial activities. This study demonstrated that ß-, Mal-ß-, and CM-ß-CD were suitable alternatives for the encapsulation of CEO to preserve its antioxidant and antibacterial activities for long-time use.

Physical and oxidative stability of chicken oil-in-water emulsion stabilized by chicken protein hydrolysates.

The emulsifying and antioxidant properties of chicken protein hydrolysates for the physical and oxidative stabilization of chicken oil-in-water emulsion were investigated. The chicken protein pepsin hydrolysates obtained at reaction temperature of 33℃, 1.8% enzyme addition, liquid-solid ratio of 5:1, and reaction time of 4h, showed the DPPH radical scavenging rate of 92.12% and emulsion stability index of 0.07. The hydrolysate exerted significantly improved antioxidant activity and emulsion ability compared to the native chicken protein. The amino acid composition analysis indicated that the contents of hydrophobic amino acids including tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan were increased after hydrolysis, which contributed to the higher hydrophobicity and antioxidant activity of chicken hydrolysates. The results suggested that the chicken protein hydrolysates could be used as an alternative protein emulsifier for the production of oxidatively stable chicken oil-in-water emulsion.

Mechanisms of vapor-phase antibacterial action of essential oil from Cinnamomum camphora var. linaloofera Fujita against Escherichia coli.

The purpose of this study was to investigate antibacterial activity of essential oil from Cinnamomum camphora var. linaloofera Fujita (EOL) at vapor phase and its mechanism of bactericidal action against Escherichia coli. Results showed that the vapor-phase EOL had significant antibacterial activity with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 200 µl/L. Further analyses showed that treatment of E. coli with vapor-phase EOL resulted in partial degradation of cell membrane, increased membrane permeability, leakage of cytoplasm materials, and prominent distortion and shrinkage of bacterial cells. FTIR showed that EOL altered bacterial protein secondary and tertiary structures. GC/MS analysis showed that the components of vapor-phase EOL included linalool (69.94%), camphor (10.90%), nerolidol (10.92%), and safrole (8.24%), of which linalool had bactericidal activity. Quantum chemical analysis suggested that the antibacterial reactive center of linalool was oxygen atom (O10) which transferred electrons during antibacterial action by the donation of electrons.

Improved Low pH Emulsification Properties of Glycated Peanut Protein Isolate by Ultrasound Maillard Reaction.

In this work, peanut protein isolate (PPI) was grafted with maltodextrin (MD) through the ultrasound-assisted Maillard reaction. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed a link between PPI and MD. The substantially increased accessibility of the major subunits (conarachin, acidic subunit of arachin, and basic subunit of arachin) in PPI under high-intensity ultrasound treatment led to changes in the degree of graft (DG), zeta-potential, protein solubility, and surface hydrophobicity of conjugates. Emulsion systems (20% v/v oil, 2.0% w/v PPI equivalent, pH 3.8) formed by untreated PPI, PPI-MDC (PPI-MD conjugates obtained with wet-heating alone), and UPPI-MDC (PPI-MD conjugates obtained with ultrasound-assisted wet heating) were characterized using a light-scatter particle size analyzer and confocal laser scanning microscope. Results showed that emulsions of untreated PPI and PPI-MDC were not stable due to immediate bridging flocculation and coalescence of droplets, whereas that formed by UPPI-MDC with 32.4% DG was stable with a smaller mean droplet size. It was believed that high-intensity ultrasound promoted production of glycated PPI, which was soluble and surface active at pH 3.8 and thus improved emulsification properties for UPPI-MDC. This study shows that glycated PPI by ultrasound-assisted Maillard reaction is an effective emulsifying agent for low pH applications.

Trace Analysis of Sinomenine Hydrochloride Using CdTe/CdS Quantum Dots-enhanced Chemiluminescence.

A novel flow-injection chemiluminescence (FI-CL) method was described for the determination of sinomenine hydrochloride (SIN). The method was based on the inhibitory effect of SIN on the CL reaction of luminol and K3Fe(CN)6 in an alkaline solution, which was sensitized by CdTe/CdS quantum dots (QDs). Under the optimized conditions, the linear range for the determination of SIN was 1.0 × 10(-8) to 1.4 × 10(-6) mol/L. The detection limit was 7.5 × 10(-9) mol/L, and the relative standard deviation was 2.47% (n = 11). The current CL method was applied to determine SIN in pharmaceutical formulations and biological fluids with satisfactory results. The possible CL reaction mechanism was discussed briefly.

[Virulence-associated gene detection and ERIC-PCR typing of Campylobacter jejuni strains isolated from foods in four Southern Chinese provinces].

OBJECTIVE: To know food contamination and genetic diversity of Campylobacter jejuni in four provinces of South China, and to provide data for C. jejuni-associated foodborne disease prevention and control. METHODS: According to the national standard and the most probable number (MPN) method, we detected the contamination of C. jejuni from 558 food samples including vegetables, meat product, cooked food, seafood, frozen food, dairy product and edible fungi during 2011 and 2012. The isolates were used to detect 12 virulence-associated genes with PCR methods and construct ERIC-PCR fingerprints. RESULTS: Fourteen positive samples were determined from 558 samples, and all positive samples come from meat product samples. The average value of MPN of positive samples was 8.77 MPN/g. Virulence-associated gene analysis reveals that more than 50% of the C. jejuni isolates had at least 9 virulence genes. Interestingly, virB11 gene was not found and the genes of pldA and wlaN were 14.30% in all isolates. Total of 15 C. jejuni isolates could be divided into 10 genotypes belonging to 3 clusters by ERIC-PCR fingerprints. CONCLUSION: Meat product was the main source of C. jejuni food contamination in four provinces of South China. More control measures must be taken to avoid C. jejuni contamination.

[Effects of phytohormones on growth and DHA production by Thraustochytrium roseum].

In this paper, effects of phytohormones on growth and DHA production by Thraustochytrium roseum MF2 were studied. Results showed that phytohormones had significant affect on growth and DHA production by T. roseum MF2. GA could promote the synthesis of DHA, and BA could accelerate the growth of T. roseum MF2, so the combination of GA and BA could increase DHA yield. The maximum DHA yield of 982mg/L was observed with 2mg/L GA and 3mg/L BA in medium.