The impact of extraction processes on the physicochemical, functional properties and structures of bamboo shoot protein.

This study aimed to extract bamboo shoot protein (BSP) using different extraction approaches and compare their functional and physicochemical properties with commercial protein ingredients, including whey protein and soy protein isolates. The extraction methods including alkali extraction (AE), salt extraction (SE), and phosphate-aided ethanol precipitation (PE) were used. An enhanced solvent extraction method was utilized in combination, resulting in a significant improvement in the protein purity, which reached 81.59 %, 87.36 %, and 67.08 % respectively. The extraction methods had significant effects on the amino acid composition, molecular weight distribution, and functional properties of the proteins. SE exhibited the best solubility and emulsification properties. Its solubility reached up to 93.38 % under alkaline conditions, and the emulsion stabilized by SE with enhanced solvent extraction retained 60.95 % stability after 120 min, which could be attributed to its higher protein content, higher surface hydrophobicity, and relative more stable and organized protein structure. All three BSP samples demonstrated better oil holding capacity, while the SE sample showed comparable functional properties to soy protein such as foaming and emulsifying properties. These findings indicate the potential of BSP as an alternative plant protein ingredient in the food industry.

New insights into the interaction between bamboo shoot polysaccharides and lotus root starch during gelatinization, retrogradation, and digestion of starch.

In this study, the interaction between bamboo shoot polysaccharides (BSP) and lotus root starch (LS) during gelatinization, retrogradation, and digestion of starch was investigated. The addition of BSP inhibited the gelatinization of LS and decreased the peak viscosity, valley viscosity, and final viscosity. Amylose leaching initially increased and then decreased with the increase in BSP addition. The apparent viscosity and viscoelasticity of LS decreased with the increase in BSP addition. Moreover, 3 % BSP increased the hardness and cohesiveness of LS gel, whereas 6 %-15 % BSP decreased them. In addition, 3 %-6 % BSP promoted the uniform distribution of water molecules in the starch paste, whereas the addition of 12 % and 15 % BSP resulted in the inhomogeneous distribution of the water. The retrogradation degree of LS gel gradually increased with the increase in BSP addition from 3 % to 6 %, whereas 9 %-15 % BSP restricted the short-term and long-term retrogradation of LS. After 12 % BSP was added, the RDS content reduced by 11.6 %, the RS content significantly increased by 75 %, and the digestibility of starch decreased. This work revealed the interaction between BSP and LS during starch gelatinization, retrogradation, and digestion to improve the physicochemical properties and digestive characteristics of LS.

Lotus starch/bamboo shoot polysaccharide composite system treated via ultrasound: Pasting, gelling properties and multiscale structure.

This study investigated the effects of ultrasound treatment on the physicochemical properties, digestion properties, and multiscale structure of a lotus root starch (LS) and bamboo shoot polysaccharide (BSP) composite system. It also preliminarily revealed the mechanism underlying the modification effect of ultrasound treatment. After 180-360 W ultrasound treatment, the viscosity, thixotropy, and gel viscoelasticity of the LS/BSP paste increased. However, treatment with the ultrasound power of 540 and 720 W decreased viscoelasticity. After 14 days of retrogradation, the hardness and cohesiveness of the LS/BSP gel increased under 180 and 360 W ultrasound treatment but decreased under 540 and 720 W ultrasound treatment. After 540 W ultrasound treatment, RDS content decreased by 17.2 % and resistant starch content increased by 32.5 %. After 180 min of in vitro digestion, the hydrolysis rate of LS/BSP decreased from 97.82 % to 93.13 % as the ultrasound power increased to 540 W. Ultrasound promoted the uniform dispersion of BSP in the starch paste and the movement, orientation, rearrangement, and aggregation of starch and BSP molecular chains. These effects further enhanced the interaction between BSP and starch, resulting in the formation of a dense paste structure with strong resistance to digestive enzymes. This work revealed the mechanism of the effects of ultrasound treatment on LS/BSP and found that 360-540 W ultrasound treatment could improve the physicochemical properties and digestion properties of LS/BSP.

TMBPF-induced neurotoxicity and oxidative stress in zebrafish larvae: impacts on central nervous system development and dopamine neurons.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a common bisphenol molecule, is well known in the environment as an endocrine disruptor. Furthermore, BPs (BPA, BPS, BPF, and BPAF) have been shown in recent years to be neurotoxic to zebrafish. Tetramethyl bisphenol F (TMBPF) has recently been introduced as a substitute for bisphenol A (BPA) in various industries, including plastics and food contact coatings. However, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that the toxicity of some BPA substitutes is similar to or even stronger than BPA, posing potential harm to human health and the environment. In this study, we used zebrafish larvae as a model to investigate the neurodevelopmental effects of TMBPF at different concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/L). Our results showed that exposure to TMBPF at concentrations higher than 4 mg/L for 72 h post-fertilization (hpf) resulted in zebrafish mortality, whereas exposure to 2 mg/L for 144 hpf caused deformities. Furthermore, TMBPF exposure inhibited the development of the central nervous system, motor nerves, and dopamine neurons in zebrafish. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that TMBPF exposure significantly down-regulated the expression of oxidative stress-related genes (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, and CAT) and neurodevelopmental genes (mbp, gafp, and syn2a), while up-regulated the expression of dopamine-related genes (th1, th2, and dat). Notably, treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) alleviated TMBPF-induced toxicity. NAC can regulate the expression of genes related to oxidative stress, neurodevelopment and dopamine development, and make the nerve development of zebrafish normal. Overall, our research suggested that TMBPF may disrupt the development of the early central nervous system and dopamine neurons, leading to abnormal motor behavior in zebrafish larvae. These results highlight the potential risks associated with the use of TMBPF in various industries and the importance to evaluate its potential risks to human health and the environment.

Synthesis, determination, and bio-application in cellular and biomass-bamboo imaging of natural cinnamaldehyde derivatives.

Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) is the main ingredient in the renewable biomass of cinnamon, which contains natural cinnamaldehyde. To valorize the value of cinnamaldehyde, two simple and useful compounds (1 and 2) from CEO were synthesized using a Schiff-base reaction and characterized by infrared spectra (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Compound 1 was used to confirm the presence of Fe3+ and ClO- in solution, as well as compound 2. Using fluorescence enhancement phenomena, it offered practicable linear relationship of 1's fluorescence intensity and Fe3+ concentrations: (0-8.0 × 10-5 mol/L), y = 36.232x + 45.054, R 2 = 0.9947, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.323 µM, as well as compound 2. With increasing fluorescence, F404/F426 of 1 and the ClO- concentration (0-1.0 × 10-4 mol/L) also had a linear relationship: y = 0.0392x + 0.5545, R 2 = 0.9931, LOD = 0.165 µM. However, the fluorescence intensity of 2 (596 nm) was quenched by a reduced concentration of ClO-, resulting in a linear. In addition, compounds 1 and 2 were used to image human astrocytoma MG (U-251), brain neuroblastoma (LN-229) cells, and bamboo tissue by adding Fe3+ or ClO-, with clear intracellular fluorescence. Thus, the two compounds based on CEO could be used to dye cells and bamboo tissues by fluorescence technology.

Understanding the effects of different residual lignin fractions in acid-pretreated bamboo residues on its enzymatic digestibility.

BACKGROUND: During the dilute acid pretreatment process, the resulting pseudo-lignin and lignin droplets deposited on the surface of lignocellulose and inhibit the enzymatic digestibility of cellulose in lignocellulose. However, how these lignins interact with cellulase enzymes and then affect enzymatic hydrolysis is still unknown. In this work, different fractions of surface lignin (SL) obtained from dilute acid-pretreated bamboo residues (DAP-BR) were extracted by various organic reagents and the residual lignin in extracted DAP-BR was obtained by the milled wood lignin (MWL) method. All of the lignin fractions obtained from DAP-BR were used to investigate the mechanism for interaction between lignin and cellulase using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology to understand how they affect enzymatic hydrolysis RESULTS: The results showed that removing surface lignin significantly decreased the yield for enzymatic hydrolysis DAP-BR from 36.5% to 18.6%. The addition of MWL samples to Avicel inhibited its enzymatic hydrolysis, while different SL samples showed slight increases in enzymatic digestibility. Due to the higher molecular weight and hydrophobicity of MWL samples versus SL samples, a stronger affinity for MWL (KD = 6.8-24.7 nM) was found versus that of SL (KD = 39.4-52.6 nM) by SPR analysis. The affinity constants of all tested lignins exhibited good correlations (r > 0.6) with the effects on enzymatic digestibility of extracted DAP-BR and Avicel. CONCLUSIONS: This work revealed that the surface lignin on DAP-BR is necessary for maintaining enzyme digestibility levels, and its removal has a negative impact on substrate digestibility.

Synthesis, optical properties, determination and imaging in living cells and bamboo of cinnamaldehyde derivatives.

Two Schiff-base fluorescent probes (1 and 2) were directly synthesized from natural cinnamaldehyde, and they were characterized by FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, HRMS. Compound 1 had no fluorescence, while compound 2 could emit significant yellow fluorescence in solid and provide green light in solution. Probe 1 could selectively sense ClO- with a fluorescence enhancement, providing a good linear relationship between the fluoresence intensity and ClO- concentrations (0-5.5 × 10-5 mol/L), y = 175.64x-19.399, R2 = 0.9937, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 39.4 nM. Probe 2 was sensitive for Cu2+ by quenching with two linear relationships at the Cu2+ concentrations from 0 to 2.1 × 10-5 mol/L, LOD = 73.9 nM. Furthermore, live celluar imaging of human astrocytoma U-251 MG cells and human liver cancer cells (Hu-7) had achieved using the 1 + ClO- and 2, offering clear intracellular fluorescence. Finally, the 1 + ClO- and 2 could also be used to dye bamboo tissues for a good use. Thus, the cinnamaldehyde derivatives could be further used in the field of celluar and bamboo imaging.

Using the Major Components (Cellulose, Hemicellulose, and Lignin) of Phyllostachys praecox Bamboo Shoot as Dietary Fiber.

Bamboo shoots are a renewable and abundant biomass containing cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Although many studies have explored the applications of each of these components in the preparation of biochemicals and biopolymers, few studies have evaluated the utility of these components as a dietary fiber supplement. In this study, a powder consisting of the main components of bamboo shoots (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) was prepared from fresh Phyllostachys praecox shoots and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. To evaluate the potential utility of these components as a dietary fiber supplement, we conducted an experiment in which this powder was supplemented in the diet of mice for 7 weeks. The experiment included three diet groups (n = 10/group): a low-fat control diet (LFC), high-fat diet (HFD), and high-fat diet with bamboo shoot powder (HFBSP). Compared with HFD mice, the body weights of LFC and HFBSP mice were lower, indicating that the addition of bamboo shoot powder could reduce the weight gain associated with the HFD. Bamboo shoot powder supplementation could also reduce the levels of triglycerides (TG), blood glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (CHOL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) in HFD mice. The fat histology images indicated that obesity was alleviated in HFBSP mice, and the liver histology images indicated that the addition of bamboo shoot powder to the HFD could reduce the risk of fatty liver disease. The addition of bamboo shoot powder to the HFD might also improve the gut microbiota of mice. Thus, the major components of bamboo shoot powder (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) could be used as beneficial natural additives in the food industry.

Procuring biologically active galactomannans from spent coffee ground (SCG) by autohydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis.

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are a promising raw material for galactomannan (GalM) production based upon its enrichment in galactomannan polysaccharides. In this work, SCG was pretreated by autohydrolysis for maximumly improving GalM extractability by endo-mannanase. The GalM in the prehydolyzate (GalM-PH) and enzymatic hydrolyzate (GalM-EH) were obtained by ethanol precipitation and characterized. Under the optimized autohydrolysis conditions, 50.1% of GalM in pretreated SCG was converted into free GalM in enzymatic hydrolyzate. Compositional analysis results revealed that GalM-PH was comprised of 81.7% galactomannan, higher than that of GalM-EH (76.4%). The molecular weight of GalM-PH and GalM-EH were 44.5 kDa and 28.0 kDa, respectively. Antioxidant assays indicated that both GalM-EH and GalM-PH could scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl radicals and hydroxyl radicals. Immunological and prebiotics analysis showed all GalM preparations exhibited pronounced activities for proliferating the probiotics and proliferating the Macrophages cell for NO production, in which the GalM-EH outperformed the GalM-PH. These results imply that the GalM extracted from SCG are the bioactive substances that can be used as antioxidant, prebiotics, and immunostimulants.

Arctigenin protects against liver injury from acute hepatitis by suppressing immune cells in mice.

As a phenylpropanoid and dibenzylbutyrolactone lignan present in medical plants, such as those used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine, including Arctium lappa (Niubang), arctigenin exhibits antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. In this study, we investigated the protective role of arctigenin in Concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute hepatitis in mice. Arctigenin remarkably reduced the congestion and necroinflammation of livers, and improved hepatic function (ALT and AST) in ConA-induced acute hepatitis in vivo. The infiltration of CD4 T, NKT and macrophages into the livers was found to be reduced with arctigenin treatment. Arctigenin suppressed ConA-induced T lymphocyte proliferations that might have resulted from enhanced IL-10 production by macrophages and CD4 T cells. These results suggested that arctigenin could be a powerful drug candidate for acute hepatitis through immune suppression.

Synthesis, optical properties and application of a set of novel pyrazole nopinone derivatives.

Pyrazole derivatives (4-6) were directly synthesized from ß-pinene derivative nopinone, and they were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectoscope, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and mass spectrometry. Their optical properties were investigated by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The three compounds emitted strong blue fluorescence in ethanol. Using a fluorescence quenching method, compound 4 could be used to detect the content (100.57%) of copper sulfate pentahydrate (≥99%) with a RSD of 1.98%, y=-0.1127×+2.7148, R2=0.9703 (Cu2+: 0.5-8.0×10-5mol/L), and compounds 4-6 also had utility of calculating the content of anhydrous ferric chloride at a wide range of concentration. Thus, compounds 4-6 are new functional fluorescents for detecting the content of some purchased products.