Extraction and activity of chemical constituents from Houttuynia cordata Thunb by ultrasonic method.

Polyphenols and flavonoids are phytochemicals that have essential roles in human nutrition. In this regard, the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids in Houttuynia cordata Thunb and their antioxidant activities were evaluated in the current study. Two Houttuynia cordata materials with the same chromosome number and chemical type were used to comprehensively assess the contents of total phenols and flavonoids in different parts of H. cordata. These chemical components were extracted by the ultrasonic method. The results showed that the total phenols and antioxidant capacity of different parts of H. cordata were significantly different. The content of polyphenols in roots and stems was low, the antioxidant capacity was weak, the total phenols in flowers and leaves were high, and the antioxidant capacity was strong. Therefore, different parts of H. cordata had different pharmacological and food effects. The whole herb can be used as Chinese herbal medicine, and its young leaves and roots can be used as vegetables. Flavonoids are the main phenolic components, and total phenols are the main components of antioxidant activity. It can explain a very significant positive correlation between total phenols and flavonoids. Therefore, in the further breeding work of H. cordata, the procedure can be simplified by determining one of the above indexes to predict the varieties with high total phenolic and antioxidant activity.

Evaluation of a Novel Phosphorylated Red Dragon Fruit Peel Pectin for Enhancement of Thermal Stability and Functional Activity.

Red dragon fruit peel, as a fruit waste, is rich in plant-based nutritional pectins that can be applied as food additives. The present study aims to characterize a novel phosphorylated red dragon fruit peel pectin (PRDFP-P) and to explore its functional activities. The thermal analysis, morphology analysis, antibacterial, antioxidant and antitumor activities of PRDFP-P were evaluated. The results showed that the phosphorylated derivative PRDFP-P had typical phosphate groups. Compared with the native red dragon fruit peel pectin (PRDFP), PRDFP-P possessed superior thermal stability and exhibited significant inhibition effects on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Moreover, the phosphate groups on the derivative PRDFP-P chains remarkably enhanced the scavenging ability of hydroxyl radicals and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. In addition, PRDFP-P showed a significant inhibition effect on growth of human hepatic carcinoma cells (HepG2) and the IC50 value was determined to be 248.69 µg/mL (P < 0.05). Our results suggested that the phosphorylated derivative PRDFP-P might be potentially applied as stabilizing, thickening and gelling agents with functional activities in the food industry.

Improvement in caffeic acid and ferulic acid extraction by oscillation-assisted mild hydrothermal pretreatment from sorghum straws.

This work investigated the effect of oscillation-assisted hydrothermal process on extraction of caffeic acid and ferulic acid from sorghum straws. The results showed that the oscillation-assisted hydrothermal process efficiently improved extraction of caffeic acid and ferulic acid. The oscillation-assisted hydrothermal process resulted in the extraction rates of 1275.48 and 1822.64 mg/L.h for caffeic acid and ferulic acid, respectively. Moreover, the oscillation-assisted hydrothermal process exerted destructive effects on hemicellulose, lignin and the amorphous regions of cellulose, contributing to the release of caffeic acid and ferulic acid in pretreated sorghum straws. The scavenging activities for hydroxyl, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radicals of the caffeic acid and ferulic acid extracts obtained by the oscillation-assisted hydrothermal process were determined to be 83.69 %, 84.17 % and 88.45 %, respectively.

Conjoint analysis of transcriptome and metabolome profiles of normal captivity and arch soil free-range in Meishan pigs.

The hygiene hypothesis has been advanced as a potential explanation for the increasingly high levels of atopy and allergic disease in the general human population. In an effort to conduct a more detailed study of the link between immune activity and the hygiene hypothesis, Meishan pigs raised under normal captivity (NC) or arch soil free-range (ASF) conditions were selected as an experimental model system. Cytokine levels were found to differ significantly between these two groups consistent with a difference in cellular immune status. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling of duodenal tissue samples from Meishan pigs were then performed, leading to the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs), and key pathways that were able to distinguish the NC and ASF groups. This approach led to the identification of 1,113 DEGs, as well as 577 and 372 DAMs in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. When an interaction network incorporating DEGs and metabolites associated with immune responsivity was constructed, it included factors such as 9-cis-Retinoic acid, (9Z,11E)-(13S)-13-Hydroxyoctadeca-9,11-dienoic acid and (10E,12Z)-(9S)-9-Hydroxyoctadeca-10,12-dienoic acid. Functional enrichment analyses confirmed that identified DEGs and DAMs were associated with immune-related pathways including the intestinal IgA production and PPAR signaling pathways. Together, these results offer new insight into the roles that particular genes and metabolites enriched in response to environmental stressors in free-range Meishan pigs may play in the regulation of cellular immunity, thus offering a foundation for future efforts to better understand the immunological mechanisms underlying the hygiene hypothesis.

Investigation of pectolytic and PR genes expression, quality and phytochemical contents in organic and non-organic table grapes at harvest and during storage.

The demand for organic table grapes is increasing worldwide. However, comprehensive information of quality parameters and phytochemical compounds in organically grown fruit remain unclear. Furthermore, table grapes are perishable and postharvest quality retention and waste prevention is very important. In this study we have compared the differences between organic and non-organic table grapes in terms of phytochemical compounds and quality parameters as well as the changes in the expression levels of pathogen related and lytic genes during storage. Organic fruit showed higher levels of phenolics, flavonoids, caffeic acid, hydrogen peroxide, protein content, antioxidant and anti-stress enzymes and total antioxidant activities at harvest and during storage. Although, the expression levels of polygalactronases, pectin methyl esterase, chitinase and glucanase genes was lower in organically grown table grapes at harvest, but the expression of all these genes was significantly increased during cold storage. After 60 days of cold storage the expression levels of pectin methyl esterase, chitinase and glucanase genes was significantly higher than the conventionally grown grape berries in organic ones. The highest expression of polygalacturonase was recorded in organic samples after 30 days of storage. There was no significant difference between the two types of table grapes for decay extension and tissue deterioration rate. The results of this study indicate that due to higher levels of phytochemicals and antioxidant compounds the organic table grapes have a higher nutritional quality. Furthermore, the increase in PR and pectolytic genes expression levels is enough for decreasing the fruit susceptibility to decay pathogens and enhancing the postharvest life of organic grapes.

A fast, sensitive, low-cost electrochemical paper-based chip for real-time simultaneous detection of cadmium (â ¡) and lead (â ¡) via aptamer.

A novel electrochemical paper-based microfluidic chip was firstly developed to simultaneously detect cadmium (Ⅱ) and lead (Ⅱ) in vegetable and fruit samples. The patterned filter paper was prepared through the printing of three-electrode patterns on filter paper using an automatic screen-printing machine. Portable and low-cost (less than $1) electrochemical paper-based chips are prepared by filling conductive ink and hot pressing. The paper-based chip could realize signal amplification through gold nanoparticles and seed solutions. Cadmium (Ⅱ) and lead (Ⅱ) were sensitively detected by their aptamers labeled with methylene blue and ferrocene, separately. Under the optimal experimental parameters, the paper-based chip detected cadmium (Ⅱ) and lead (Ⅱ) as low as 23.31 and 46.23 pmol/L (3σ) with a wide linear range from 0.1 to 1000 nmol/L and exhibited excellent selectivity. The RSD was 6.41% (cadmium (Ⅱ)) and 4.20% (lead (Ⅱ)). Compared with other methods, the paper-based chip could complete the detection within 15 min and could be stored at -20 °C for 5 days. Furthermore, the results for vegetable and fruit samples were agreed with the results of the graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer, in which the recovery rates were 93.20%-95.80%.

An ultra-sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for simultaneous quantitative detection of Pb2+ and Cd2+ in fruit and vegetable.

An electrochemical aptasensor based on aptamer was designed for the first time to simultaneously detect Cd2+ and Pb2+ in fruit and vegetable. The double-stranded DNA including aptamers were immobilized on the electrode via Au-S bond. Due to the specific binding of aptamer and metal ions, the aptamers labelled with methylene blue or ferrocene were competed off the gold electrode, and the electrochemical signal was decreased. Under the optimal conditions, the electrochemical aptasensor showed linear response to Cd2+ and Pb2+ in the range of 0.1 to 1000 nmol/L, and the detection limits of Cd2+ and Pb2+ achieved 89.31 and 16.44 pmol/L (3σ), respectively. Excellent stability and reproducibility were exhibited with RSD 2.27% (Cd2+) and 3.61% (Pb2+). The digested fruit and vegetable were also tested, and the recoveries were in the range of 90.06% to 97.24%. Thus, this strategy held great potential in monitoring cadmium and lead pollution.

Removal of patulin by thiol-compounds: A review.

Patulin (PAT) is a toxic mycotoxin usually contaminated apple juices, which leads to a serious food safety issue in the world. Thiol-compounds are a class of compounds containing the thiol (-SH) group themselves or obtained the -SH group by physical or chemical modification. They have the ability to efficiently remove patulin in apple juices with manifested negligible effects on juice quality. This review investigates the latest development in the removal of patulin using thiol-compounds, including the removal efficiencies and mechanisms of patulin, the factors influencing the removal efficiency of patulin, as well as the toxicities of thiol-compounds and safety of juices after detoxification. This review shows that thiol-compounds are promising materials for the removal or degradation of patulin in the contaminated juices.

Possible Reaction Mechanisms Involved in Degradation of Patulin by Heat-Assisted Cysteine under Highly Acidic Conditions.

Patulin (PAT) is one of mycotoxins that usually contaminates apple juice, and it is not easily detoxified by cysteine (CYS) at room temperature due to the highly acidic conditions based on the Michael addition reaction. However, it could be effectively degraded by a heating treatment at 120 °C for 30 min in the presence of cysteine. In our study, a total of eight degradation products (DP A-H) were characterized and identified via liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) in a negative ion mode, and their structures and formulas were proposed based on their accurate mass data. The fragmentation patterns of PAT and its degradation products were obtained from the MS/MS analysis. Meanwhile, the possible reaction mechanisms involved in the degradation of PAT were established and explained for the first time. According to the relation between the structure and toxicity of PAT, it could be deduced that the toxic effects of PAT degradation products were potentially much less than those of PAT-self.

Effects of combined enzymatic hydrolysis and fed-batch operation on efficient improvement of ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid production from pretreated corn straws.

In the present work, the effects of combined enzymatic hydrolysis by cellulase and xylanase (CXEH), fed-batch enzymatic hydrolysis (FBEH) operation and kinetics on production of ferulic acid (FA) and p-coumaric acid (pCA) from pretreated corn straws were investigated. The results showed that CXEH could efficiently increase production of FA and pCA. When performed the FBEH operation by feeding 150 mL enzymatic hydrolysis solution (1.5 % enzyme concentration, 5:4 (v/v) ratio of cellulase to xylanase and 2.0 % substrate loading) to 250 mL batch enzymatic hydrolysis solution at 36 h, the maximum production (2178.58 and 2710.17 mg/L) and production rate (590.95 and 727.89 mg/L.h) of FA and pCA were respectively obtained. Moreover, the disruption of fiber tissues, enhancement of crystallinity and accelerated degradation of hemicelluloses and lignocelluloses caused by CXEH contributed to effectively improving production of FA and pCA in corn straws.

Factors influencing the removal of patulin by cysteine.

The removal of patulin in phosphoric acid buffer solution by cysteine was investigated. Cysteine could effectively decrease the patulin concentration at high acidic condition (pH 3.0-5.0) with the help of high temperature greater than 90 °C. Three removal mechanisms of patulin by cysteine under high acidic and high temperature conditions were deduced. Reaction temperature, pH of reactive media, molar ratio between cysteine and patulin, and reaction time were all the obvious factors influencing the removal efficiency of patulin, and the increase of any one factor could significantly improve the removal efficiency of patulin. The removal process of patulin could be simulated by the zero-order kinetic model, logarithmic model, and pseudo-first-order kinetic model, respectively, and the corresponding correlation coefficients (R2) were all greater than 0.90. Presently, this method can only be applied for the removal of patulin in contaminated water from washing fruits in juice processing industry due to the high treatment temperature more than 120 °C and the long detoxification time greater than 1 h.

Thermal Stability and Degradation Kinetics of Patulin in Highly Acidic Conditions: Impact of Cysteine.

The thermal stability and degradation kinetics of patulin (PAT, 10 µmol/L) in pH 3.5 of phosphoric-citric acid buffer solutions in the absence and presence of cysteine (CYS, 30 µmol/L) were investigated at temperatures ranging from 90 to 150 °C. The zero-, first-, and second-order models and the Weibull model were used to fit the degradation process of patulin. Both the first-order kinetic model and Weibull model better described the degradation of patulin in the presence of cysteine while it was complexed to simulate them in the absence of cysteine with various models at different temperatures based on the correlation coefficients (R2 > 0.90). At the same reaction time, cysteine and temperature significantly affected the degradation efficiency of patulin in highly acidic conditions (p < 0.01). The rate constants (kT) for patulin degradation with cysteine (0.0036-0.3200 µg/L·min) were far more than those of treatments without cysteine (0.0012-0.1614 µg/L·min), and the activation energy (Ea = 43.89 kJ/mol) was far less than that of treatment without cysteine (61.74 kJ/mol). Increasing temperature could obviously improve the degradation efficiency of patulin, regardless of the presence of cysteine. Thus, both cysteine and high temperature decreased the stability of patulin in highly acidic conditions and improved its degradation efficiency, which could be applied to guide the detoxification of patulin by cysteine in the juice processing industry.

Cytotoxicity of Deoxynivalenol after Being Exposed to Gaseous Ozone.

In this study, deoxynivalenol (DON) in aqueous solution was exposed to gaseous ozone for periods ranging from 0 to 20 min. The degradation efficiency and cytotoxicity of DON were investigated after being treated by ozone. The results showed that DON was rapidly degraded from 10.76 ± 0.09 mg/L to 0.22 ± 0.04 mg/L within 15 min (P < 0.05), representing a reduction of 97.95%, and no DON was detected after being exposed to 14.50 mg/L of ozone at a flow rate of 80 mL/min for 20 min. The degradation of DON depended on the ozone exposure time, and followed the first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.9972). Human hepatic carcinoma (HepG2) and Henrietta Lacks (Hela) cells were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of DON treated by ozone using the 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) values of DON on HepG2 and Hela cells were 2.10 and 1.33 mg/L after 48 h of exposure, respectively, and showed a dose-dependent manner. The cell vitalities of HepG2 and Hela cells on DON were both evidently improved after being exposed to ozone for 15 min, and there were no significant differences between the negative control and that treated at 20 min of ozone exposure. Gaseous ozone can potentially be used as a new method to detoxify DON in agricultural products.

Ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction of a water soluble polysaccharide from dragon fruit peel and its antioxidant activity.

A novel water soluble polysaccharide from dragon fruit peel named DFPWSP-1 was isolated and purified and chemical analysis was performed. The results indicated that DFPWSP-1, with an average molecular weight of 2.98 × 102 kDa, mainly contained galacturonic acid, glucose and galactose. Then, a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE) of DFPWSP-1. The optimal extraction conditions for the maximum yield of DFPWSP-1 were a cellulase volume of 104 U, an enzymolysis time of 2.06 h, an ultrasonication power of 105 W and a ratio of solution to sample of 8.5 mL g-1. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of DFPWSP-1 was 20.28%. Furthermore, the polysaccharide DFPWSP-1 exhibited a significant scavenging activity of 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical. DFPWSP-1 may be a potential natural antioxidant in the food industry.

Knockout of rapC Improves the Bacillomycin D Yield Based on De Novo Genome Sequencing of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens fmbJ.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, a Gram-positive and soil-dwelling bacterium, could produce secondary metabolites that suppress plant pathogens. In this study, we provided the whole genome sequence results of B. amyloliquefaciens fmbJ, which had one circular chromosome of 4 193 344 bp with 4249 genes, 87 tRNA genes, and 27 rRNA genes. In addition, fmbJ was found to contain several gene clusters of antimicrobial lipopeptides (bacillomycin D, surfactin, and fengycin), and bacillomycin D homologues were further comprehensively identified. To clarify the influence of rapC regulating the synthesis of lipopeptide on the yield of bacillomycin D, rapC gene in fmbJ was successfully deleted by the marker-free method. Finally, it was found that the deletion of rapC gene in fmbJ significantly improved bacillomycin D production from 240.7 ± 18.9 to 360.8 ± 30.7 mg/L, attributed to the increased the expression of bacillomycin D synthesis-related genes through enhancing the transcriptional level of comA, comP, and phrC. These results showed that the production of bacillomycin D in B. amyloliquefaciens fmbJ might be regulated by the RapC-PhrC system. The findings are expected to advance further agricultural application of Bacillus spp. as a promising source of natural bioactive compounds.

Effect of inulin on efficient production and regulatory biosynthesis of bacillomycin D in Bacillus subtilis fmbJ.

The effect of inulin on the production of bacillomycin D and the levels of mRNA of bacillomycin D synthetase genes: bmyA (BYA), bmyB (BYB), bmyC (BYC), the thioesterase gene (TE) and regulating genes: AbrB, ComA, DegU, PhrC, SigmaH and Spo0A in Bacillus subtilis fmbJ were investigated. The production of bacillomycin D was enhanced with the increase of biomass concentration. The maximum production and productivity of bacillomycin D were found to be 1227.49 mg/L and 10.23 mg/L h. Inulin significantly improved the expression of bacillomycin D synthetase genes: bmyA (BYA), bmyB (BYB), bmyC (BYC) and the thioesterase gene (TE). Also, inulin up-regulated ComA, DegU, SigmaH and Spo0A and therefore promoted the high production of bacillomycin D. Our results provided a practical approach for efficient production of bacillomycin D and a meaningful explanation for regulatory mechanism of bacillomycin D biosynthesis.