Rotenone-induced PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy: establishing a silkworm model for Parkinson's disease potential.

Parkinson's disease (PD), ranking as the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder globally, presents a pressing need for innovative animal models to deepen our understanding of its pathophysiology and explore potential therapeutic interventions. The development of such animal models plays a pivotal role in unraveling the complexities of PD and investigating promising treatment avenues. In this study, we employed transcriptome sequencing on BmN cells treated with 1 µg/ml rotenone, aiming to elucidate the underlying toxicological mechanisms. The investigation brought to light a significant reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential induced by rotenone, subsequently triggering mitophagy. Notably, the PTEN induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)/Parkin pathway emerged as a key player in the cascade leading to rotenone-induced mitophagy. Furthermore, our exploration extended to silkworms exposed to 50 µg/ml rotenone, revealing distinctive motor dysfunction as well as inhibition of Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression. These observed effects not only contribute valuable insights into the impact and intricate mechanisms of rotenone exposure on mitophagy but also provide robust scientific evidence supporting the utilization of rotenone in establishing a PD model in the silkworm. This comprehensive investigation not only enriches our understanding of the toxicological pathways triggered by rotenone but also highlights the potential of silkworms as a valuable model organism for PD research.

BacScan: a novel genome-wide strategy for uncovering broadly immunogenic proteins in bacteria.

In response to the global threat posed by bacterial pathogens, which are the second leading cause of death worldwide, vaccine development is challenged by the diversity of bacterial serotypes and the lack of immunoprotection across serotypes. To address this, we introduce BacScan, a novel genome-wide technology for the rapid discovery of conserved highly immunogenic proteins (HIPs) across serotypes. Using bacterial-specific serum, BacScan combines phage display, immunoprecipitation, and next-generation sequencing to comprehensively identify all the HIPs in a single assay, thereby paving the way for the development of universally protective vaccines. Our validation of this technique with Streptococcus suis, a major pathogenic threat, led to the identification of 19 HIPs, eight of which conferred 20-100% protection against S. suis challenge in animal models. Remarkably, HIP 8455 induced complete immunity, making it an exemplary vaccine target. BacScan's adaptability to any bacterial pathogen positions it as a revolutionary tool that can expedite the development of vaccines with broad efficacy, thus playing a critical role in curbing bacterial transmission and slowing the march of antimicrobial resistance.

Unraveling novel umami peptides from yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) using peptidomics and molecular interaction modeling.

Yeast extract is increasingly becoming an attractive source for unraveling novel umami peptides that are healthier and more nutritious than traditional seasonings. In the present study, a strategy for screening novel umami peptides was established using mass spectrometry-based peptidomics combined with molecular interaction modeling, emphasizing on smaller peptides than previously reported. Four representative novel umami peptides of FE, YDQ, FQEY, and SPFSQ from yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were identified and validated by sensory evaluation, with thresholds determined as 0.234 ± 0.045, 0.576 ± 0.175, 0.327 ± 0.057 and 0.456 ± 0.070 mmol/L, respectively. Hydrogen and ionic bonds were the main characteristic interactions between the umami peptides and the well-recognized receptor T1R1/T1R3, in which Asp 110, Thr 112, Arg 114, Arg 240, Lys 342, and Glu 264 were the key sites in ligand-receptor recognition. Our study provides accurate sequences of umami peptides and molecular interaction mechanism for the umami effect.

De novo identification of bacterial antigens of a clinical isolate by combining use of proteosurfaceomics, secretomics, and BacScan technologies.

Background: Emerging infectious diseases pose a significant threat to both human and animal populations. Rapid de novo identification of protective antigens from a clinical isolate and development of an antigen-matched vaccine is a golden strategy to prevent the spread of emerging novel pathogens. Methods: Here, we focused on Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, which poses a serious threat to the pig industry, and developed a general workflow by integrating proteosurfaceomics, secretomics, and BacScan technologies for the rapid de novo identification of bacterial protective proteins from a clinical isolate. Results: As a proof of concept, we identified 3 novel protective proteins of A. pleuropneumoniae. Using the protective protein HBS1_14 and toxin proteins, we have developed a promising multivalent subunit vaccine against A. pleuropneumoniae. Discussion: We believe that our strategy can be applied to any bacterial pathogen and has the potential to significantly accelerate the development of antigen-matched vaccines to prevent the spread of an emerging novel bacterial pathogen.

Dietary Eicosapentaenoic Acid Containing Phosphoethanolamine Plasmalogens Remodels the Lipidome of White Adipose Tissue and Suppresses High-Fat Diet Induced Obesity in Mice.

SCOPE: Dietary supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)/eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can alter the lipidome profiles of adipocytes, thereby counteract obesity. DHA/EPA in the form of phospholipids demonstrates higher bioavailability than triglyceride or ethyl ester (EE), but their effects on the lipidome and metabolic changes during obesity are still unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: High-fat diet-induced obese mice are treated with different molecular forms of EPA, and EPA supplemented as phosphoethanolamine plasmalogens (PlsEtn) has a superior effect on reducing fat mass accumulation than phosphatidylcholine (PC) or EE. The lipidomics analysis indicates that EPA in form of PlsEtn but not PC or EE significantly decreases total PC and sphingomyelin content in white adipose tissue (WAT). Some specific polyunsaturated fatty acid -containing PCs and ether phospholipids are increased in EPA-PlsEtn-fed mice, which may attribute to the upregulation of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation reactions in WAT. In addition, the expression of genes related to fatty acid catabolism is also promoted by EPA-PlsEtn supplementation, which may cause the decreased content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid-containing PCs. CONCLUSIONS: EPA-PlsEtn supplementation is demonstrated to remodel lipidome and regulate the fatty acid metabolic process in WAT, indicating it may serve as a new strategy for obesity treatment in the future.

N-3 PUFA Deficiency from Early Life to Adulthood Exacerbated Susceptibility to Reactive Oxygen Species-Induced Testicular Dysfunction in Adult Mice.

Homeostasis of reactive oxygen species is required to maintain sperm maturation and capacitation. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is accumulated in testicles and spermatozoa and has the ability to manipulate the redox status. The effects of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) deficiency from early life to adulthood on the physiological and functional properties of males under the redox imbalance of testicular tissue deserve attention. The consecutive injection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) for 15 days to induce oxidative stress in testicular tissue was used to elucidate the consequences of testicular n-3 PUFA deficiency. The results indicated that reactive oxygen species treatment in adult male mice with DHA deficiency in the testis could reduce spermatogenesis and disrupt sex hormone production, as well as trigger testicular lipid peroxidation and tissue damage. N-3 PUFA deficiency from early life to adulthood resulted in higher susceptibility to testicular dysfunction in the germinal function of supplying germ cells and the endocrine role of secreting hormones through the mechanism of aggravating mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and destruction of blood testicular barrier under oxidative stress, which might provide a basis for humans to reduce susceptibility to chronic disease and maintain reproductive health in adulthood through dietary interventions of n-3 PUFAs.

Phosphatidylglucose alleviates atherosclerosis by increasing cholesterol alienation to bile acids and cholesterol efflux in ApoE-/- mice.

BACKGROUND: Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is considered to be the major dietary source for choline, which is associated with atherosclerosis progress. Thus, phosphatidylglucose (PG) was prepared by enzymatic modification of PC to investigate the effects on atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE-/- ) mice, as well as to investigate its dose-response relationship. RESULTS: The results showed that dietary PG significantly decreased the atherosclerotic lesion area in a dose-dependent manner. Further studies found that intervention with a 0.8 g kg-1 and 2 g kg-1 PG diet for 4 months significantly decreased free cholesterol level and thus reduced total cholesterol levels in serum. The results of cholesterol distribution among lipoproteins showed that dietary PG significantly decreased low-density lipoprotein levels in ApoE-/- mice. In addition, only administration of high-dose PG significantly reduced total cholesterol levels in liver tissues by 31.2%. Furthermore, mice treated with high-dose PG had an expanded bile acid pool and increased the ratio of conjugated bile acids to unconjugated bile acids in the liver, serum and gallbladder by increasing hepatic gene expression of primary and conjugated bile acid synthesis. Additionally, low-dose and high-dose PG significantly increased total fecal sterols by 20.8% and 11.9%, respectively, by increasing sitosterol and ethylcoprostanol levels. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that PG alleviated atherosclerosis in a dose-dependent manner by increasing cholesterol alienation to bile acids and cholesterol efflux. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bipartite synchronization of Lur'e network with signed graphs based on intermittent control.

In this paper, the bipartite synchronization of signed Lur'e network is studied under intermittent control, where the communication relationship of these adjacent nodes in the network can be either cooperative or competitive. Assuming that the network is structurally balanced, bipartite synchronization can be reached with some conditions and coordinate transform criterion. Then, Based on Lyapunov stability theory, some important norms are established. Ultimately, the simulation results can illustrate validness of theoretical analysis.

Eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids alleviate glucose and lipid metabolism in spontaneously hypertensive rats with CD36 mutation: a precise nutrition strategy.

Previous studies have found that eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PLs) alleviated glucose and lipid metabolism, which was accompanied by an increase of cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36). However, the effects of EPA-PLs on glucose and lipid metabolism in the case of CD36 mutation are unclear. Thus, spontaneously hypertensive rats/NCrl (SHR) were used as a CD36 mutation model to determine the effects of dietary 2% EPA-PLs for 4 weeks on glucose and lipid metabolism. The results showed that the intervention of EPA-PLs significantly alleviated the abnormal increase of serum free fatty acid levels and glycerol levels in SHRs. Moreover, the administration of EPA-PLs decreased the triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels by 31.1% and 37.9%, respectively, in the liver. Dietary EPA-PLs had no effect on epididymal fat weight, but EPA-PLs inhibited adipocyte hypertrophy in SHRs. Further mechanistic research found that EPA-PL pretreatment significantly reduced triacylglycerol catabolism and increased fatty acid ß-oxidation. Additionally, the administration of EPA-PLs decreased the area under the curve of the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and fasting serum insulin levels by activating the IRS/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Furthermore, EPA-PL pretreatment significantly increased the CD36 gene expression in the liver tissues, adipose tissues and muscle tissues even in the case of CD36 mutation. These results indicated that EPA-PLs alleviate glucose and lipid metabolism in the case of CD36 mutation, which provides a precise nutrition strategy for people with CD36 mutation.

The synergistic effect of sea cucumber saponins and caffeine on preventing obesity in high-fat diet-fed mice by extending the action duration of caffeine.

BACKGROUND: Sea cucumber saponins (SCSs) exhibit a unique structure and high bioactivities and might have specialized implications on caffeine metabolic process by altering the activity of N-demethylation enzyme CYP1A2. The present study aimed to clarify the effects of SCS on caffeine metabolism in vivo and in vitro, as well as the synergistic anti-obesity effect of SCS and caffeine on high-fat diet-induced obese mice. RESULTS: Results found that SCS administration significantly postponed the elimination rate of caffeine and its metabolites in vivo, and further study found CYP1A2-mediated caffeine metabolism was remarkably inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. The synergistic effect of the SCS and caffeine combination could decrease the total weight of white adipose tissue by 52% compared with high-fat diet-treated group. CONCLUSION: SCS could prolong caffeine action time, and the combination of the two substances exhibited joint action on high-fat diet-induced obese mice. These findings might provide a basis for the development of functional foods and potential application using the combination of SCS and caffeine. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Preparation and properties of fucoxanthin-loaded liposomes stabilized by sea cucumber derived cholesterol sulfate instead of cholesterol.

The preparation of steady-state phospholipid liposomes requires cholesterol as a stabilizer, but excessive intake of cholesterol may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The sulfated sterols extracted from sea cucumber, mainly including sulfated 24-methylene cholesterol and cholesterol sulfate, have been reported to have a variety of physiological activities. Sulfated sterols are similar to cholesterol in structure and have the potential to replace cholesterol to prepare novel stable multifunctional liposomes, allowing the liposomes to act as carriers for the delivery of less bioavailable nutrients while allowing sulfated sterols in the lipid bilayer to exert physiologically active effects. This study aimed to prepare a novel multifunctional nanoliposome stabilized with sulfated sterols from sea cucumber instead of cholesterol by ultrasound-assisted thin-film dispersion method. The results showed that stable and uniformly dispersed nanoliposomes could be formed when the substitution ratio of sea cucumber-derived cholesterol sulfate was 100% and the ratio of lecithin to cholesterol sulfate was 3:1. Fucoxanthin encapsulated liposome with egg yolk lecithin/sea cucumber-derived cholesterol sulfate/fucoxanthin mass ratio of 6:2:3 was successfully prepared, with an average particle size of 214 ± 3 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) value of 0.297 ± 0.006, the zeta potential of -57.2 ± 1.10 mV, and the encapsulation efficiency of 85.5 ± 0.8%. The results of digestion and absorption in vitro and in vivo showed that liposomes could significantly improve the bioavailability of fucoxanthin and prolong its residence time in serum. As an efficient multifunctional carrier, this novel liposome has great potential for applications in functional foods and biomedicine.

Free astaxanthin-rich diets enhanced astaxanthin accumulation in egg yolks compared to esterified astaxanthin-rich diets.

As an oxycarotenoid with strong antioxidant properties, astaxanthin can considerably boost pigmentation and improve the nutritional value of eggs. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the comparative effects of different chemical structures of astaxanthin including free astaxanthin, monoester-enriched astaxanthin and diester-enriched astaxanthin on the nutritional enhancement of eggs within 20 days. The results showed that supplementation of free astaxanthin to laying hens was more effective in accumulating astaxanthin in egg yolks than supplementation with esterified astaxanthin. The retention rate of free astaxanthin was approximately 12.0 % at the plateau phase in egg yolk, while that of monoester-enriched and diester-enriched astaxanthin were 4.0 % and 2.5 %, respectively. Free astaxanthin possessed a high retention rate and pigmentation effect compared with esterified astaxanthin, which might provide a basis for astaxanthin enhancement in eggs and potential application in nutritional functional foods.

DHA-Enriched Phospholipids Exhibit Anti-Depressant Effects by Immune and Neuroendocrine Regulation in Mice: A Study on Dose- and Structure-Activity Relationship.

SCOPE: It has been reported that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), especially EPA-enriched phospholipids (EPA-PL), significantly ameliorates depression-like behavior in mice, while the corresponding effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is weak. However, it is still unclear whether the limited effect of DHA on alleviating depression is remedied by dose and chemical structure adjustment to DHA-PL. METHODS AND RESULTS: A mouse model with depression is established by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) coupled with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge to simulate the infection-triggered immune perturbation during chronic stress, and the effects of dietary 0.2% EPA-PL, 0.2% DHA-PL, 0.6% DHA-PL, and 0.6% DHA-enriched ethyl ester (DHA-EE) are comparatively investigated. The results demonstrate that dietary 0.6% DHA-PL, instead of 0.2% DHA-PL and 0.6% DHA-EE, significantly rescues the depression-like behavior with similar effects to 0.2% EPA-PL. Further studies reveal that dietary DHA-PL regulates immune dysregulation, inhibits neuroinflammation by NLRP3 inflammasome, and further improves monoamine systems and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. CONCLUSION: The limited effect of DHA on depression is remedied by chemical structure adjustment to DHA-PL and three-fold dose. The present findings provide a potential novel candidate or targeted dietary patterns to prevent and treat depression.

Identification of diagnostic molecules and potential traditional Chinese medicine components for Alzheimer's disease by single cell RNA sequencing combined with a systematic framework for network pharmacology.

Background: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) provides new perspectives and ideas to investigate the interactions between different cell types and organisms. By integrating scRNA-seq with new computational frameworks or specific technologies, better Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatments may be developed. Methods: The single-cell sequencing dataset GSE158234 was obtained from the GEO database. Preprocessing, quality control, dimensionality-reducing clustering, and annotation to identify cell types were performed on it. RNA-seq profiling dataset GSE238013 was used to determine the components of specific cell subpopulations in diverse samples. A set of genes included in the OMIM, Genecards, CTD, and DisGeNET databases were selected as highly plausible AD-related genes. Then, ROC curves were created to predict the diagnostic value using the significantly expressed genes in the KO group as hub genes. The genes mentioned above were mapped to the Coremine Medical database to forecast prospective therapeutic Chinese medicines, and a "Chinese medicine-ingredient-target" network was constructed to screen for potential therapeutic targets. The last step was to undertake Mendelian randomization research to determine the causal link between the critical gene IL1B and AD in the genome-wide association study. Results: Using the scRNA-seq dataset, five unique cell clusters were discovered. These clusters were further subdivided into four distinct cell types using marker genes. The KO group showed a more substantial differential subgroup of macrophages than the WT group. By using the available datasets and PPI network analysis, 54 common genes were discovered. Four clusters were identified using the MCODE approach, and correlation analysis showed that seven genes in those four clusters had a significantly negative correlation with macrophages. Six genes in four sets had a significantly positive correlation. Five genes had different levels of expression in the WT and KO groups. The String database was used to identify the regulatory relationships between the four genes (IL10, CX3CR1, IL1B, and IL6) that were finally selected as AD hub genes. Screening identified potential traditional Chinese medicine to intervene in the transformation process of AD, including Radix Salviae, ginseng, Ganoderma, licorice, Coptidis Rhizoma, and Scutellariae Radix, in addition to promising therapeutic targets, such as PTGS1, PTGS2, and RXRA. Finally, it was shown that IL1B directly correlated with immune cell infiltration in AD. In inverse variance weighting, we found that IL1B was associated with a higher risk of AD, with an OR of 1.003 (95% CI = 1.001-1.006, p = 0.038). Conclusion: Our research combined network pharmacology and the scRNA-seq computational framework to uncover pertinent hub genes and prospective traditional Chinese medicine potential therapeutic targets for AD. These discoveries may aid in understanding the molecular processes behind AD genes and the development of novel medications to treat the condition.

Comparative Analyses of EPA-Phosphatidylcholine, EPA-Lysophosphatidylcholine, and DHA-Lysophosphatidylcholine on DHA and EPA Repletion in n-3 PUFA-Deficient Mice.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) play an important role in maintaining the physiological functions of tissues, and the beneficial effects of DHA/EPA in phospholipid forms have been widely reported. Although lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is considered to be the preferred form of DHA supplementation for the brain, the kinetics of DHA and EPA recovery and corresponding changes of n-6 docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and arachidonic acid (AA) levels in different phospholipid molecules and different tissues after administration of EPA in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and LPC forms and DHA in the LPC form are not clear. Here, we measured the total fatty acids in tissues and fatty acid composition of different phospholipid molecules after gavage administration of equal molar amounts of EPA/DHA in mice with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) deficiency induced by maternal dietary deprivation of n-3 PUFA during pregnancy and lactation. The results showed that dietary supplementation with EPA-PC, EPA-LPC, and DHA-LPC exhibited different priorities for EPA or DHA accretion and supplementation efficiency curves in different tissues during the developing period. EPA-PC exhibited a more optimal efficacy in DHA and EPA repletion in serum and hepatic total fatty acids. In terms of DHA recovery in the brain, EPA-LPC and DHA-LPC showed great effects. Meanwhile, the DHA level in total fatty acids and major fractions of phospholipids (PC, PE, and PI + PS) in the heart and bone marrow with the supplementation of DHA-LPC displayed a relatively considerable increase compared with that of EPA supplementation groups. The study provides a reference for the time course of DHA or EPA recovery in phospholipid molecular species in different tissues after the supplementation of EPA-PC, EPA-LPC, and DHA-LPC.

Antarctic krill oil exhibited synergistic effects with nobiletin and theanine in ameliorating memory and cognitive deficiency in SAMP8 mice: Applying the perspective of the sea-land combination to retard brain aging.

The complex pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) leads to a limited therapeutic effect; therefore, the combination of multiple bioactive ingredients may be more effective in improving AD due to synergistic effects. Based on the perspective of the sea-land combination, the effects of sea-derived Antarctic krill oil (AKO) combined with land-derived nobiletin (Nob) and L-theanine (The) on memory loss and cognitive deficiency were studied in senescence-accelerated prone 8 mice (SAMP8). The results demonstrated that AKO combined with The significantly increased the number of platform crossings in the Morris water maze test by 1.6-fold, and AKO combined with Nob significantly increased the preference index in a novel object recognition test. AKO exhibited synergistic effects with Nob and The in ameliorating recognition memory and spatial memory deficiency in SAMP8 mice, respectively. Further research of the mechanism indicated that AKO exhibited synergistic effects with Nob in suppressing ß-amyloid (Aß) aggregation, neurofibrillary tangles, and apoptosis and neuroinflammation, while the synergistic effects of AKO and The involved in synaptic plasticity and anti-neuroinflammation, which revealed that the combination was complex, not a mechanical addition. These findings revealed that the sea-land combination may be an effective strategy to treat and alleviate AD.

A Comparative Study of the Anti-Obesity Effects of Dietary Sea Cucumber Saponins and Energy Restriction in Response to Weight Loss and Weight Regain in Mice.

Dietary supplementation of sea cucumber saponins and calorie restriction have been proved to be effective in alleviating obesity, but the differences of anti-obesity effects between sea cucumber saponins and energy restriction during weight loss and weight regain are still unknown. In the present study, high-fat-induced obesity mice were randomly divided into three groups, including a high-fat diet group (HF), an energy restriction by 40% group (HF-L), and a sea cucumber saponins group (HF-S), to compare the effects of dietary sea cucumber saponins and energy restriction on the weight, glucose, and lipid metabolism of obese mice during weight loss and weight regain. The results showed that dietary 0.06% sea cucumber saponins and limiting energy intake by 40% had the same weight loss effect. Interestingly, sea cucumber saponins could alleviate impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance caused by obesity. In addition, the inhibited SREBP-1c mediated lipogenesis might lead to the alleviation of weight regain after resuming the high-fat diet even when sea cucumber saponins were no longer supplemented. In contrast, limiting energy intake tended to promote lipid synthesis in the liver and white adipose tissue after restoring a high-fat diet, and inflammation was also induced. The findings indicated that sea cucumber saponins could replace calorie restriction to prevent obesity and might be used as a functional food or drug to resist obesity and related diseases caused by obesity.

Confucian Familism and Shared Decision Making in End-of-Life Care for Patients with Advanced Cancers.

Shared decision-making (SDM) has been institutionally recognized as clinically effective by many Western healthcare systems. Nevertheless, it appears culturally unattractive in China, a country that adheres to Confucian familism which strongly prefers collective family decisions. This study examined this conflict and assessed the influence of Confucian familism on SDM in end-of-life (EOL) care for advanced cancer patients. Between August and November 2018, 188 EOL advanced-cancer patients were randomly recruited from 640 cancer hospital medical records at a Tertiary A-level hospital in Shandong province. Eventually, 164 (87.23%) sample patients were included in the statistical analysis after the non-responsive cases (4.79%) and missing value (7.98%) were removed. SDM was measured through SDM-Q-9, and the patient's siblings were used as indicators of Confucian Familism. Of the 164 patients, the mean SDM score was 38/100; 47.6% were thoroughly unfamiliar with their treatment plans and fell outside the decision-making procedure. Each patient had four siblings on average. Ceteris paribus, more siblings led to lower SDM. Moreover, being 56-65 years old and open-minded were associated with higher SDM, while higher satisfaction of the quality of EOL care yielded lower SDM. In conclusion, Confucian familism weakened patient-clinician SDM in EOL care for advanced cancer patients.

Characterization, stability, digestion and absorption of a nobiletin nanoemulsion using DHA-enriched phosphatidylcholine as an emulsifier in vivo and in vitro.

The emulsification ability of phospholipids might be associated with fatty acid composition. However, there is no research regarding the emulsification ability of marine-derived phospholipids rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The present study developed a nanoemulsion delivery system using DHA-enriched phosphatidylcholine as an emulsifier to deliver the poorly soluble ingredient nobiletin. The prepared nobiletin-loaded nanoemulsion was stable, with a small particle size of approximately 200 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.082, and a neutral zeta potential. The nobiletin-loaded nanoemulsion exhibited high lipolysis ability in in vitro experiments. Moreover, the nobiletin-encapsulated nanoemulsion was digested quickly and entered the serum faster than the oil suspension. There was a high distribution of nobiletin in organs such as the liver, brain, kidney, and spleen in the emulsion group after oral administration for 2 h. The findings provided a nanoemulsion delivery system to increase the bioavailability of nobiletin in vitro and in vivo.