Conformational and functional changes from deamidation of wheat gluten with electrochemical treatment.

BACKGROUND: In this paper, wheat gluten (WG) was modified by electrochemical deamidation. The effects of electrochemical treatment time on the conformation and functional properties of WG and its mechanism were studied. RESULTS: Wheat gluten demonstrated a maximum deamidation of 50.94%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed a decrease in α-helix and ß-sheets and an increase in ß-turns and random coils, indicating that the secondary structure of WG became looser and more disordered with increased molecular flexibility. Electrochemical deamidation significantly increased the net charge and solubility of WG, the emulsifying activity index (EAI) increased from 8.53 to 15.66 m2 g-1 , the foaming capacity (FC) increased from 4.55 to 13.72 cm3 , and the water-holding capacity (WHC) and oil-holding capacity (OHC) reached maximum levels of 8.42 g g-1 and 7.45 g g-1 , respectively, at 90 min. CONCLUSION: Electrochemical deamidation appears to be a useful technique to improve the processing characteristics of WG. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessing causal relationships between gut microbiota and psoriasis: evidence from two sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

Mounting data hints that the gut microbiota's role may be pivotal in understanding the emergence of psoriasis. However, discerning a direct causal link is yet elusive. In this exploration, we adopted a Mendelian randomization (MR) strategy to probe the prospective causal interplay between the gut's microbial landscape and the predisposition to psoriasis. Genetic markers acting as instrumental variables for gut microbiota were extrapolated from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) encompassing 18,340 individuals. A separate GWAS yielded summary data for psoriasis, which covered 337,159 patients and 433,201 control subjects. The primary analysis hinged on inverse variance weighting (IVW). Additional methods like the weighted median approach and MR-Egger regression were employed to validate the integrity of our findings. Intriguing correlations emerged between psoriasis risk and eight specific bacterial traits. To illustrate: Mollicutes presented an odds ratio (OR) of 1.003 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) spanning 1.001-1.005 (p = 0.016), while the family. Victivallaceae revealed an OR of 0.998 with CI values between 0.997 and 0.999 (p = 0.023). Eubacterium (coprostanoligenes group) revealed an OR of 0.997 with CI values between 0.994 and 0.999 (p = 0.027). Eubacterium (fissicatena group) revealed an OR of 0.997 with CI values between 0.996 and 0.999 (p = 0.005). Holdemania revealed an OR of 1.001 with CI values 1-1.003 (p = 0.034). Lachnospiraceae (NK4A136 group) revealed an OR of 0.997 with CI values between 0.995 and 0.999 (p = 0.046). Lactococcus revealed an OR of 0.998 with CI values between 0.996 and 0.999 (p = 0.008). Tenericutes revealed an OR of 1.003 with CI values between 1.001 and 1.006 (p = 0.016). Sensitivity analysis for these bacterial features yielded congruent outcomes, reinforcing statistically significant ties between the eight bacterial entities and psoriasis. This comprehensive probe underscores emerging evidence pointing towards a plausible causal nexus between diverse gut microbiota and the onset of psoriasis. It beckons further research to unravel the intricacies of how the gut's microbial constituents might sway psoriasis's pathogenesis.

Prurigo Pigmentosa Successfully Treated with Oral Minocycline: A Case Report.

Purpose: We aimed to report a case of prurigo pigmentosa (PP) with blisters. Patients and Methods: A 21-year-old male patient presented to our hospital with erythema, papules, and blisters all over the front chest and back. Densely distributed round and oval edematous erythema was noted on the neck, front chest, and back of the patient. Histopathologic examination of the skin lesions (blisters) on the chest revealed epidermal cell hyperkeratosis. He was diagnosed with PP and was treated with oral minocycline. Results: After 1-week minocycline administration, the patient's itching was relieved, and the blisters dried up. His skin lesions recurred following self-withdrawal from the medication; subsequently, the patient was administered oral minocycline treatment again. After 1-month continuous oral treatment, the drug was discontinued. No recurrence of symptoms was noted. Conclusion: Oral minocycline is effective for the treatment of PP.

The Role of Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis and Therapeutic Evaluation of Rare Disease Eosinophilic Pustular Folliculitis.

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) is a rare skin disease for which the gold standard of diagnosis relies on the invasive examination of pathological tissue sections. However, due to its invasive nature, many patients tend to refuse this diagnostic test. In such situations, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can be a valuable diagnosis tool. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can accurately identify the specific structures for biopsy and provide objective imaging data to evaluate clinical symptoms following treatment. Therefore, we present a case report demonstrating the utility of RCM in diagnosing and assessing the treatment of the rare disease EPF for reference.

Clinical and Pathological Analysis of 10 Cases of Eosinophilic Pustular Folliculitis.

We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical and pathologic data from January 2020 to June 2023, focusing on 10 patients diagnosed with eosinophilic pustular folliculitis at our dermatology clinic. Four of the ten patients had the first rash on the face, five on the trunk, and one on the palms and feet, all of which were initially scattered papules that gradually increased and fused into erythematous plaques with a circular distribution. Seven had pustules with small surface desquamation, and three cases had micro swelling on the face. The rash involved only the face in 5 cases, the face and trunk in 5 cases, and the face, trunk, hands, and feet in 1 case. Seven of the ten patients were pruritic, and 3 had no obvious pruritus. The histopathological features were mild epidermal hyperplasia, lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltration around the superficial middle dermal vessels and appendages, and eosinophilic and neutrophilic abscesses in the local hair follicles. Treatment with oral indomethacin, prednisone, and minocycline was effective.

Photoresponsive host-guest systems based on a new azobenzene-containing cryptand.

A new azobenzene-bridged cryptand was synthesized; it can be well controlled between cis and trans isomers by irradiation with different wavelengths or by being heated. It was found that this cryptand exhibits an ON-OFF binding ability with 2,7-diazapyrenium (DAP) derivatives. It binds DAP derivatives as the cis isomer only, as demonstrated by various methods. The fluorescence property of DAP derivatives endows these host-guest systems with detectable fluorescent output signals, which makes monitoring these photoresponsive systems convenient.