Aspartic Acid Content Research Articles

Evolutionary analysis of KED-rich proteins in plants.

During the course of evolution, organisms have developed genetic mechanisms in response to various environmental stresses including wounding from mechanical damage or herbivory-caused injury. A previous study of wounding response in the plant tobacco identified a unique wound-induced gene, aptly named KED due to its coding for a protein that has an unusually high content of amino acids lysine (K), glutamic acid (E) and aspartic acid (D). However, by far little is known about this intriguing gene. In this study, we investigated the evolutionary aspects of the KED-rich coding genes. We found that a consistent pattern of wound-induced KED gene expression is maintained across representative species of angiosperm and gymnosperm. KED genes can be identified in species from all groups of land plants (Embryophyta). All the KED proteins from vascular plants (Tracheophyta) including angiosperm, gymnosperm, fern and lycophyte share a conserved 19-amino acid domain near the C-terminus, whereas bryophytes (moss, liverwort and hornwort) possess KED-rich, multi-direct-repeat sequences that are distinct from the vascular plant KEDs. We detected KED-rich sequences in Charophyta species but not in Chlorophyta wherever genome sequences are available. Our studies suggest diverse and complex evolution pathways for land plant KED genes. Vascular plant KEDs exhibit high evolutionary conservation, implicating their shared function in response to wounding stress. The extraordinary enrichment of amino acids K, E and D in these groups of distinct and widely distributed proteins may reflect the structural and functional requirement for these three residues during some 600 million years of land plant evolution.

The effect of additional shading utilizing agriphotovoltaic structures on the visual qualities and metabolites of broccoli.

Agriphotovoltaic (APV) systems allow the simultaneous production of crops and electricity in the same land area. Since the reduction of yield caused by APV systems is important for food security, studies to improve the yield have been conducted steadily. However, there have been limited data on the appearance, quality, and metabolomic changes of crops. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the visual qualities and metabolites as well as the yield of broccoli grown using an APV system during the fall season. In addition, additional shading treatment was performed, and the same qualities were evaluated. In the spring season, an additional cultivar that does not express anthocyanins was cultivated. Glucosinolate content was more sensitive to the seasonal environment and the type of cultivar than it was to treatment type. The additional shading treatment had a positive effect on the visual qualities of anthocyanin-expressing broccoli cultivar regardless of the season, and we observed that even a cultivar that does not express anthocyanins can be greener. Regardless of cultivar, higher chlorophyll content was detected in broccoli florets with additional shading treatment under the APV system. In addition, reduced anthocyanin content was observed (6.1 mg g-1 DW; about 20% of that obtained on open-field). Aspartic acid content was enhanced upon additional shading treatment. Pathway analysis revealed changes in anthocyanin, alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid metabolism. Overall, our findings suggests that it is possible to produce crops with better visual qualities by utilizing APV systems.

Comparison of Antioxidant Capacity and Muscle Amino Acid and Fatty Acid Composition of Nervous and Calm Hu Sheep.

This study determined the effect of temperament on antioxidant capacity and the relationship between antioxidant capacity and the contents of amino acids (AA) and fatty acids (FA) in muscle of Hu sheep. Organ and muscle samples of five calm and five nervous Hu sheep were collected to determine the antioxidant capacity and the contents of AA and FA in muscle tissue. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide excretion enzyme (SOD) in muscle and intestinal tissue of calm Hu sheep were lower than those of nervous Hu sheep (p < 0.01), and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in liver of calm Hu sheep was significantly higher than that of nervous Hu sheep (p = 0.050). The content of AA of calm Hu sheep was higher than that of nervous Hu sheep, especially the content of reductive amino acids, which was significantly higher than that of nervous Hu sheep (p = 0.029). Fatty acid content of nervous Hu sheep was higher than that of calm type, and saturated fatty acid content was significantly higher than that of calm type (p = 0.001). The SOD content in muscle tissue was positively correlated with the contents of aspartic acid (Asp), alanine (Ala) and lysine (Lys). Catalase (CAT) activity was positively correlated with Ala content. There was a significant positive correlation between total antioxidants (T-AOC) and glutamate (Glu) (p < 0.05). MDA concentration was positively correlated with lauric acid (C12:0), triseconic acid (C13:0), myristic acid (C14:0) content (p < 0.01), and ginkgo acid (C15:0) content. The total antioxidants (T-AOC) was negatively correlated with stearic acid (C18:0) (p < 0.05). Our conclusion is that the antioxidant capacity of calm Hu sheep is superior to that of nervous Hu sheep, which may be due to the higher AA (especially reductive amino acids (Arg, Lys, Ala and Glu)) content in the muscle and the lower FA (especially SFA) content, which improve the antioxidant capacity of the organism and allow for further exploration of the mechanisms by which animal temperament affects antioxidant performance.

Infrared spectroscopy and biochemical parameters of rat tissues under heavy metal poisoning conditions

The increasing level of anthropogenic environmental pollution and effective means to reduce the negative impact of xenobiotics on animal and human health is an urgent problem today. Considering this, the purpose of the study is to examine the effect of heavy metals on accumulation processes under poisoning conditions, and biochemical parameters in the body of rats. Analogue groups were formed of rats of the same age, gender, and body weight to conduct the study. Rats were poisoned with solutions of copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, cadmium sulfate, and lead nitrate for 14 days. Using the method of infrared spectroscopy, substantial differences in the spatial structure of protein components in intact and poisoned animals were established. The difference between the spectral characteristics of the examined tissues is clearly demonstrated by the statistical indicators of skewness and kurtosis. It was determined that poisoning of rats with copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead ions affects the course of glycolysis reactions and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, which leads to a likely increase in serum concentrations of lactate and pyruvate, oxaloacetate and α-ketoglutarate and a decrease in Malate content compared to intact rats. It was established that under the conditions of poisoning, there is also a substantial increase (P &lt; 0.05) in the content of the examined heavy metals in the blood, liver, and kidneys. In animals poisoned with heavy metals, a decrease in the pool of free amino acids in the kidneys is observed. In particular, the content of aspartic acid, valine, glycine, tyrosine, and cystine (more than 1.5 times) in the kidneys of such rats decreases; alanine, leucine, serine, taurine, threonine, phenylalanine (more than 2.0 times), lysine – 3.4-4.9 times. Therewith, an increase in the level of isoleucine and methionine by 1.3-1.5 times, ornithine – by 1.8-2.1 times, and glutamic acid – by 4.4-5.3 times in rats of the experimental group compared to intact ones was identified. The results of the study can be helpful in the professional activities of doctors of veterinary medicine, toxicologists, biologists, and environmentalists and used to control the quality of livestock products, conduct toxicological studies, and analyse environmental objects

Effects of Exogenous Chlorinated Amino Acetic Acid on Cadmium and Mineral Elements in Rice Seedlings.

To explore the effect of exogenous application of chlorinated amino acetic acid on cadmium (Cd) transport characteristics in rice seedlings, X24 and Z35 rice were taken as the research objects to carry out hydroponics experiments, and the changes of Cd content in rice seedlings, rice mineral elements and amino acid content in rice were analyzed. The results showed that exogenous application of 1.2 mmol·L-1 chlorinated amino acetic acid inhibited cadmium in shoots and roots of rice seedlings; Cd content in shoots and roots were reduced by up to 62.19% and 45.61%, respectively. The majority of cadmium was in the cell wall of shoots and roots; this decreased with the increase of the concentration of chlorinated acetic acid. In addition, the Mn content in shoots and Ca content in roots of rice seedlings increased significantly after the application of chlorinated amino acetic acid. The results of amino acid analysis showed that the contents of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and cystine in rice seedlings were increased. These results indicate that exogenous application of chlorinated amino acetic acid is beneficial to the synthesis of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and cysteine in rice seedlings, increases the content of Mn in shoots and Ca in roots of rice seedlings, and significantly alleviates cadmium stress in seedlings. This provides a theoretical basis for the development of an environmentally friendly Cd-lowering foliar fertilizer for rice.

Subchronic tolerance trials of graded oral supplementation with ornithine hydrochloride or citrulline in healthy adults

Ornithine and citrulline are amino acids used in dietary supplements and nutritional products consumed by healthy consumers, but the safe supplementation levels of these compounds are unknown. The objective of this study was to conduct two 4-week clinical trials to evaluate the safety and tolerability of graded dosages of oral ornithine (as hydrochloride) and citrulline. Healthy male adults (n = 60, age 41.4 ± 1.5 years) completed graded dosages of either ornithine hydrochloride (3.2, 6, 9.2, and 12 g/day) or citrulline (6, 12, 18, and 24 g/day) supplement for 4 weeks with 2-week wash-out periods in between. Primary outcomes included vitals, a broad spectrum of circulating biochemical analytes, body weight, sleep quality, and mental self-assessment. In the ornithine hydrochloride supplementation group, minor increase in plasma aspartic acid and glutamic acid concentrations was observed at the highest intake dosages. In the citrulline supplementation group, minor changes in laboratory data for serum lactate dehydrogenase and plasma amino acid concentration of lysine, methionine, threonine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glutamine and ornithine, arginine, and citrulline itself were measured. No other changes in measured parameters were observed, and study subjects tolerated 4-week-long oral supplementation of ornithine hydrochloride or citrulline without treatment-related adverse events. A clinical, no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of ornithine hydrochloride and citrulline supplementation in healthy adult males was determined to be 12 g/day and 24 g/day (4 weeks), respectively.

Effect of Different Concentration of Amino Acid and Vitamins in Properties Yield and Components Plant Basil Ocimmum basilicum L.

This study was carried out at a private farm in city Samarra in Qalaa for the 2016 summer season. This experiment included on factors is basil. Different concentrations of amino acid and vitamins and their interaction Amino acid included different concentrations of amino acid aspartic acid and amino acid phenylalanine ethylene the vitamins also included different concentrations of ascorbic acid and vitamins thiamine The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of spraying on different concentrations of amino acid and vitamins in the characteristics of vegetative growth ,physiological characteristics the ratio of the pilot oil , its physical properties and the active substance. The experiment was applied using full Random Sector Design (R.C.B.D) (Complete Black Design Randomized) within the simple trials of three replication the effect of spraying amino acid and vitamins can have a significant effect on most of the studied traits as follows: The treatment (spartic acid 150ppm x ascorbic acid 50 mg.L) was given in most studied traits , giving the number of date flowers (69.5) and number of seeds in the broiler (195.47) and weight 1000 seeds (1.72) and the origin of the leafs (1122.3) and total seed yield (2764.33).&#x0D; &#x0D;

Optimising a method for aragonite precipitation in simulated biogenic calcification media.

Resolving how factors such as temperature, pH, biomolecules and mineral growth rate influence the geochemistry and structure of biogenic CaCO3, is essential to the effective development of palaeoproxies. Here we optimise a method to precipitate the CaCO3 polymorph aragonite from seawater, under tightly controlled conditions that simulate the saturation state (Ω) of coral calcification fluids. We then use the method to explore the influence of aspartic acid (one of the most abundant amino acids in coral skeletons) on aragonite structure and morphology. Using ≥200 mg of aragonite seed (surface area 0.84 m2), to provide a surface for mineral growth, in a 330 mL seawater volume, generates reproducible estimates of precipitation rate over Ωaragonite = 6.9-19.2. However, unseeded precipitations are highly variable in duration and do not provide consistent estimates of precipitation rate. Low concentrations of aspartic acid (1-10 μM) promote aragonite formation, but high concentrations (≥ 1 mM) inhibit precipitation. The Raman spectra of aragonite precipitated in vitro can be separated from the signature of the starting seed by ensuring that at least 60% of the analysed aragonite is precipitated in vitro (equivalent to using a seed of 200 mg and precipitating 300 mg aragonite in vitro). Aspartic acid concentrations ≥ 1mM caused a significant increase in the full width half maxima of the Raman aragonite v1 peak, reflective of increased rotational disorder in the aragonite structure. Changes in the organic content of coral skeletons can drive variations in the FWHM of the Raman aragonite ν1 peak, and if not accounted for, may confuse the interpretation of calcification fluid saturation state from this parameter.

Analysis of microbial community and its correlation with flavor compounds during Congee fermentation

We investigated the structural changes in the microbial flora during the fermentation process (with primers added for fermentation) of Congee and its influence on the flavor compounds of Congee using high-throughput sequencing technology. W detected and analyzed the bacterial and fungal community dynamics. In addition, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, electronic nose technology, and electronic tongue technology were used to monitor the changes in the flavor compounds of Congee at different fermentation time points; the correlation between the two was analyzed. The Illumina MiSeq sequencing showed bacterial in Congee samples at different fermentation stages belonged mainly to genera Lactobacillus, Kosakonia, and Enterococcus. The major fungal genera were Yarrowia, Dipodascus, and Pichia. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed that 90 volatile compounds were detected in the Congee samples during the fermentation process, among which ethyl acetate, eucalyptol, nonanal, heptyl ethyl acid, and acetic acid constituted important aroma compounds in Congee. In addition, 16 amino acids were detected from the Congee samples. At 48 h of fermentation, the content of total amino acids increased to twice that at 0 h of fermentation; the contents of glutamic acid and aspartic acid were the highest. The electronic nose technology revealed that the W5S (nitrogen oxide), W1S (methyl) and W1W (sulfide sensitive) sensors showed a higher response to Congee samples. In terms of taste, the response signals of Congee, sweetness, and saltiness were the strongest. The covariance between microbial flora and flavor compounds was analyzed by Spearman's correlation analysis. Ralstonia was significantly positive correlation with found with pyridine, butanoic acid, hexanoic acid, and D-limonene (p < 0.05), and a significant negative correlation with hexadecanoic acid and ethyl ester (p < 0.05). Bacillus exerted a significant positive correlation with heptanoic acid and ethyl ester (p < 0.05). Yarrowia was positively correlated with compounds such as heptanoic acid, ethyl ester, ethyl 2-methyl butyrate (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with 2-Dece0l, (E)-, Hepta0l (p < 0.05). Dipodascus was negatively correlated with compounds such as naphthalene, furan, 2-pentyl-, butanedioic acid (p < 0.05). In all, Ralstonia, Bacillus, Yarrowia, and Dipodascus exerted positive effects on the formation of the Congee flavor.

Canagliflozin Attenuates Hepatic Steatosis and Atherosclerosis Progression in Western Diet-Fed ApoE-Knockout Mice.

To investigate the effect of canagliflozin (20 mg/kg) on hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis, and further to explore its possible mechanism. Blood glucose, blood lipid, oxidative stress response and inflammatory cytokines were examined by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test and ELISA assay. HE and Oil Red O staining were used to estimate the extent of hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR were used to further investigate the potential mechanism. The effects of canagliflozin on autophagy were detected using transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting. The endothelial function-related markers were determined by qRT-PCR. Canagliflozin notably alleviated the elevation in blood glucose and insulin resistance in western diet-fed ApoE-/- mice. In ApoE-/-+Cana group, ApoE-/- mice had lower levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and MCP-1. HE and Oil Red O staining presented that canagliflozin restrained the atherosclerotic plaque development and lipid accumulation. RNA-seq showed that 87 DEGs were relevant to improvement of hepatic steatosis and atherosclerosis by canagliflozin. Among them, CPS1, ASS1, ASL, ARG1, MATLA, GLS2, GOT1, SREBP1, Plin5, Retreg1, and C/EBPβ were verified. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly involved in amino acid metabolism. Besides, we observed that canagliflozin reduced the contents of aspartic acid and citrulline in liver. Western blotting showed that ASS1 and p-AMPK/AMPK was remarkably elevated after administration of canagliflozin. Correspondingly, canagliflozin down-regulated SREBP1, FAS, ACC1, HMGCR, p-mTOR/m-TOR, p-ULK1/ULK1 and p62, but up-regulated CPT1, Beclin 1 and LC3 II/LC3I. TEM showed that canagliflozin reduced the number of lipid droplets and increased the autophagosomes. Moreover, we found that canagliflozin elevated the aortic endothelial function-associated markers including ASS1, ASL and eNOS. Canagliflozin may attenuate hepatic steatosis by improving lipid metabolism, enhancing autophagy, and reducing inflammatory response through ASS1/AMPK pathway. Besides, canagliflozin further effectively improves the aortic endothelial function, thereby suppressing atherosclerosis development.

Qi Wei Anti-burn Tincture Remodels Liver Metabolic Pathways and Treats Burn Wounds Efficiently.

This work aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Qi Wei anti-burn Tincture (QW) on wound healing in burnt mice using metabolomics and molecular biology techniques. A scald model was first established in Kunming mice. After treatment, biochemical indicators for liver function and burnt skin tissues were then evaluated via biochemical detection and HE staining, respectively. Liver tissues were further analyzed for differential metabolites, inflammatory factors, and mRNA levels of cytokines using metabolomics and molecular biology techniques. Involved metabolic pathways were also identified using software. QW treatment did promote the healing of the burn wounds in Kunming mice with a downregulation of ALP, ALT, and AST to normal levels. In mouse liver tissue, the contents of glutamine, aspartic acid, and citrulline were significantly reduced, while the contents of 5-hydroxyproline, taurine, hypotaurine, and glutamic acid significantly increased. These major differential compounds are involved in the arginine metabolic pathway, nitrogen excretion, and the metabolism of taurine and hypotaurine, suggesting that QW reprogramed the above metabolic processes in the liver. Furthermore, the application of QW increased the expression of TGF-β1 and FGF-2 and reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and reactive oxygen species in the liver of mice induced by burn injury. This study found that QW treatment promoted metabolic pathway remodeling in the liver, which might be a potential mechanism for QW to treat burn wounds.

The changes of umami substances and influencing factors in preserved egg yolk: pH, endogenous protease, and proteinaceous substance.

The study investigated the changes of nucleotides, succinic acid, and free amino acids amounts in yolk and the causes leading to the changes after pickling to uncover the fundamental umami component of preserved egg yolk. The findings demonstrated that while the contents of 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP), 5′-cytidine monophosphate (CMP), 5′-guanosine monophosphate (GMP), 5′-uridine monophosphate (UMP), and succinic acid increased after slightly decreasing aspartic acid (Asp) content in preserved egg yolk increased gradually. The contents of 5′-inosine monophosphate (IMP) and other free amino acids were gradually decreased. Comparing the taste activity value (TAV), it was found that the single umami substance, succinic acid, played a key role in inducing the umami taste. In combination with the Spearman correlation analysis, it was shown that the proteinaceous substance, which is the most significant umami component in preserved egg yolk, tended to condense first and subsequently disintegrate in an alkaline environment. The orthogonal partial least squares analysis (OPLS) found that pH was also affected by the changes in proteinaceous substance. These findings offer suggestions for enhancing the pickling procedure and investigating the optimal pickling period for preserved eggs.

PSXI-20 Evaluation of the Effects of Hempseed Cake on Immune Parameters in Response to an Endotoxin Challenge in Finishing Steers

Abstract Hempseed cake, a byproduct of industrial hemp and subsequent hempseed oil extraction processes, contains cannabinoids and fatty acids that could be potentially therapeutic for livestock, but little is known about the extent to which hempseed cake can influence immune response variables of cattle. An endotoxin challenge experiment using crossbred steers (n = 5; initial BW = 542 kg, SD = 40 kg) was conducted to evaluate the effects of hempseed cake treatment (HEMP) and dried corn distillers grains plus solubles treatment (DDGS; each included at 20% of diet DM in respective treatments) in comparison with a dry-rolled corn-based negative control treatment (CON) on plasma glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), urea nitrogen (PUN), rectal temperature, twelve cytokine (IFNγ, IL-1α, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-36RA, IP10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, TNFα, and VEGF-A), and amino acid concentrations at five timepoints after administration of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS). Steers were administered LPS at 0.25 μg/kg BW, and blood was collected via jugular venipuncture before and 1, 2, 4 and 6-hours post-bolus injection. Data were analyzed as repeated measures using the MIXED procedure of SAS, and pre-bolus values was used as a covariate. A treatment by hour interaction (P = 0.04) was observed for PUN, and pre-bolus PUN was greatest (P &amp;lt; 0.01) in steers fed the HEMP. Plasma IL-1α, IL-36RA, and TNF-α were least (P ≤ 0.02), while IL-10 and MIP-1α tended (P ≤ 0.10) to be less in steers fed the HEMP diet. Plasma isoleucine, leucine, tryptophan, and tyrosine concentrations were greatest (P ≤ 0.04) in steers fed the DDGS diet, plasma aspartic acid and glycine concentrations were greatest (P ≤ 0.02) for steers fed the DDGS and CON diets. Overall, these data suggest that hempseed cake has potential to reduce inflammation by influencing cytokine production, but more research is needed to further understand animal growth performance and health implications.

Elevated branched-chain amino acid inclusions generate distinctly divergent growth performance responses in broiler chickens offered wheat- and/or sorghum-based, reduced-crude protein diets

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of elevated branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) inclusions in 187.5 g/kg crude protein (CP) diets based on wheat, sorghum or a wheat-sorghum blend on performance parameters of broiler chickens from 7 to 28 days post-hatch. The first tier of BCAA inclusions relative to lysine were leucine 105, isoleucine 65 and valine 75. The second tier was an elevation of leucine to 150 individually and in the third tier leucine was maintained at 150 and isoleucine and valine were elevated to 75 and 85, respectively. A 3 × 3 factorial array of these dietary treatments were offered to a total of 324 male Ross 308 broiler chickens housed in six replicate cages per treatment with six birds per cage. The assessed performance parameters included growth performance, relative abdominal fat-pad weights, nutrient utilisation, apparent jejunal and ileal digestibility coefficients of starch, protein (N) and amino acids and free amino acid concentrations in systemic plasma. Treatment interactions were observed for weight gain (P < 0.001) and FCR (P < 0.014). Elevated BCAA inclusions in sorghum-based diets significantly increased weight gain by 9.26 % (1451 versus 1328 g/bird) and numerically improved FCR by 0.86 % (1.378 versus 1.390). In contrast, elevated BCAA inclusions in wheat-based diets significantly depressed both weight gain by 9.49 % (1288 versus 1423 g/bird) and FCR by 8.33 % (1.665 versus 1.537). Wheat-based diets (5.68 g/kg) generated significantly lighter relative abdominal fat-pad weights than either sorghum-based (13.48 g/kg) or blended diets (12.95 g/kg). Sorghum-based and blended diets supported superior energy utilisation and N retention in comparison to wheat-based diets. Similarly, sorghum-based and blended diets supported higher jejunal and ileal starch digestibility coefficients than wheat-based diets, but wheat supported significantly higher jejunal protein (N) digestibility by 10.5 % (0.726 versus 0.657). Treatment interactions were observed for ileal digestibility of 4 amino acids (arg, lys, val, gly), BCAA inclusions significantly influenced 3 amino acids (ile, leu, thr) and the feed grain significantly influenced 10 amino acids (his, ile, leu, met, phe, ala, asp, glu, pro, tyr). Elevating BCAA inclusions in wheat-sorghum blended diets significantly increased free plasma concentrations of leucine and influenced concentrations of isoleucine and valine. However, BCAA inclusions significantly decreased plasma concentrations of threonine, asparagine plus aspartic acid, cysteine, glycine, proline, and serine. Consideration is given to possible reasons for the remarkable weight gain treatment interaction following elevated BCAA inclusions to sorghum- or wheat-based diets.

Designing and In Vitro Characterization of pH-Sensitive Aspartic Acid-Graft-Poly(Acrylic Acid) Hydrogels as Controlled Drug Carriers.

Acetaminophen is an odorless and white crystalline powder drug, used in the management of fever, pain, and headache. The half-life of acetaminophen is very short; thus, multiple intakes of acetaminophen are needed in a day to maintain a constant pharmacological action for an extended period of time. Certain severe adverse effects are produced due to the frequent intake of acetaminophen, especially hepatotoxicity and skin rashes. Therefore, a drug carrier system is needed which not only prolongs the release of acetaminophen, but also enhances the patient compliance. Therefore, the authors prepared novel aspartic acid-graft-poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels for the controlled release of acetaminophen. The novelty of the prepared hydrogels is based on the incorporation of pH-sensitive monomer acrylic acid with polymer aspartic acid in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Due to the pH-sensitive nature, the release of acetaminophen was prolonged for an extended period of time by the developed hydrogels. Hence, a series of studies was carried out for the formulated hydrogels including sol-gel fraction, FTIR, dynamic swelling, polymer volume analysis, thermal analysis, percent porosity, SEM, in vitro drug release studies, and PXRD analysis. FTIR analysis confirmed the grafting of acrylic acid onto the backbone of aspartic acid and revealed the development of hydrogels. The thermal studies revealed the high thermal stability of the fabricated hydrogels as compared to pure aspartic acid. An irregular surface with a few pores was indicated by SEM. PXRD revealed the amorphous state of the developed hydrogels and confirmed the reduction in the crystallinity of the unreacted aspartic acid by the formulated hydrogels. An increase in gel fraction was observed with the increasing concentration of aspartic acid, acrylic acid, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate due to the availability of a high amount of free radicals. The porosity study was influenced by the various compositions of developed hydrogels. Porosity was increased due to the enhancement in the concentrations of aspartic acid and acrylic acid, whereas it decreased with the increase in ethylene glycol dimethacrylate concentration. Similarly, the pH-responsive properties of hydrogels were evaluated by dynamic swelling and in vitro drug release studies at two different pH levels (1.2 and 7.4), and a greater dynamic swelling and acetaminophen release were exhibited at pH 7.4 as compared to pH 1.2. An increase in swelling, drug loading, and drug release was seen with the increased incorporation of aspartic acid and acrylic acid, whereas a decrease was detected with the increase in the concentration of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. Conclusively, the formulated aspartic acid-based hydrogels could be employed as a suitable nonactive pharmaceutical ingredient for the controlled delivery of acetaminophen.

Selection of promising lines for yield and quality traits in advanced segregating generation of linseed

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is becoming more important due to its unique nutrient profile and a source of high-added value raw material, for both food and industrial uses. However, low productivity and lack of combined quality traits has limited its cultivation and there is an urgent need to develop improved varieties through genetic recombination of traits. In this respect 96 linseed F4 families, derived from eight contrasting parents were field evaluated during 2019–2020. A reasonable diversity among the F4 families indicated a considerable potential for improving linseed for agronomic and quality traits. Results demonstrated that strict selection for oil content, protein content, fatty acid composition and amino acid profile, with comparatively high heritability and genetic advance, is feasible and successful in F4 generation. Families with linolenic acid content as low as 9.26% and as high as 72.46% were identified. Yellow-seeded families had higher values of phenological traits, plant height and number of capsules and lower values of seed number, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, aspartic acid, leucine and lysine content than the brown-seeded types. Among the many low linolenic acid families identified those with superior yield and quality traits, offer opportunitiesfor development of new varieties that may be of high value in food industry. Also the high linolenic acid and high oil content families recognized may have genetic potentials for development of new varieties of linseed for industrial purposes. Among the parental genotypes four were found to be promising for developing superior high yielding linseeds with high quality.

Amino acid composition of beef obtained from cattle of beef breeds

The purpose of the research was to study the amino acid composition of beef obtained from beef cattle of Aberdeen Angus and Hereford breeds. The studies were conducted on steers of 12- and 18-month-old of Aberdeen Angus and Hereford breeds. The amino acid content was determined in an average meat sample by high-performance liquid chromatography. Samples for analysis were taken by quartering. It was found that beef obtained from Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford steers of diff erent ages was a complete product in terms of amino acid composition, which was confi rmed by the value of the protein quality index of 5,55–5,73 and 5,34–5,49, the ratio of methionine : tryptophan – 1,22 and 1,23. At the age of 12 months, the protein value of beef was higher in herdmates of Aberdeen-Angus breed by 3,78 % more than in steers of Hereford breed. The diff erence in the ratio of methionine : tryptophan was 0,81 % in favor of Hereford steers. The same content of aspartic acid in meat was found in young animals of 18 months of age of the studied breeds – 2,03 g/100 g. A comparative analysis of the concentration of essential amino acids in beef showed that Hereford steers had more valine, histidine, lysine, threonine and phenylalanine than herdmates of Aberdeen-Angus breed by 3,30; 4,26; 1,11; 7,14 (p &lt; 0,05) and 4,76 %, respectively. The concentrations of valine, isoleucine, methionine and tryptophan were higher in Aberdeen Angus steers than in Hereford herdmates by 3,30; 2,50; 2,00 and 2,50 %, respectively. When analyzing the results of beef studies on the content of dispensable amino acids in 18-month-old steers, the advantage in concentration of alanine, glycine, glutamic acid, serine, tyrosine, cystine was in Aberdeen-Angus steers, the diff erence with the herdmates of Hereford breed was 6,50 (p &lt; 0,05), 2,25; 8,28 (p &lt; 0,05), 56,72 (p &lt; 0,001), 1,10 and 9,09 % (p &lt; 0,05), respectively. The indicator of the protein value of beef was higher in Aberdeen Angus steers by 5,11 %. The difference in the ratio of methionine: tryptophan again amounted to 0,81 % in favor of Hereford steers.

Amelioration of Flesh Quality in Hybrid Grouper (♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ E. lanceolatu) Fed With Oxidized Fish Oil Diet by Supplying Lactobacillus pentosus

The objective was to investigate the improvement of the flesh quality and nutritional value of hybrid grouper (♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ E. lanceolatu) by Lactobacillus pentosus (BL-15). The two diets were prepared with 9% oxidized fish oil (OFO negative control group) or 9% fresh fish oil (FFO positive control group) as the major lipid source, and the OFO diet were sprayed with L. pentosus at 1.0×107, 1.0×108, 1.0×109 CFU/g, respectively. Five kinds of diets were fed to hybrid grouper with initial weight of 21.36 ± 0.03 g for 60 days. The results showed that (1) consumption of OFO diet significantly increased muscle crude lipid, total cholesterol, and total monounsaturated fatty acids contents and significantly decreased muscle C20:5n3, C22:6n3, ∑PUFA levels of grouper (p &amp;lt; 0.05), whereas the addition of L. pentosus to OFO diet significantly reduced muscle crude lipid, malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen radicals, total cholesterol concentration, increased C20:5n3, C22:6n3, ∑PUFA levels, increased muscle crude protein content, and enhanced muscle hardness, gumminess, and chewiness compared with FFO or OFO group (p &amp;lt; 0.05). (2) In addition, ingestion of OFO diet significantly increased muscle phenylalanine content and significantly decreased aspartic acid content (p &amp;lt; 0.05), while the addition of L. pentosus restored aspartic acid to the level not significantly different from that of FFO group (p &amp;gt; 0.05). The addition of L. pentosus also increased tyrosine, lysine, leucine, phenylalanine, arginine, and alanine content compared to FFO group at the same time (p &amp;lt; 0.05). (3) Furthermore, the intake of OFO diet would lead to deterioration in muscle flavor quality and increase in noxious odors in grouper, and the addition of L. pentosus can mitigate or rectify these detrimental consequences. In further analysis, consumption of OFO group significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of muscle growth factors and caused serious damage to the muscle antioxidant system (p &amp;lt; 0.05), which was protected against by the potent antioxidant properties of L. pentosus. We recommend the supplementation level of L. pentosus to be 1.0×109 CFU/g under the highly oxidized conditions of the present trial fish oil.

Study on the changes of goat meat quality and the expression of 17 quality-related genes within 48 h of postmortem aging

This research revealed the changes of color, cooking loss, texture, protein, amino acids, and the expression of 17 meat quality-related genes in longissimus thoracis from goats during postmortem aging of 0, 12, 24 and 48 h at 4 °C, and preliminarily studied the expression of 11 genes in cultured muscle cells under similar aging conditions. Along with the development of rigor mortis, shear force, texture indicators and cooking loss reached maximum at 12 h. The color and contents of aspartic acid, serine, tyrosine, phenylalanine changed significantly within 48 h. Both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins were degraded from 12 h onwards with myosin heavy chain, troponin T, desmin and actin as the main degraded proteins. The expression levels of the 17 genes in muscle tissues mostly peaked at 12 or 24 h, which was consistent with the changes of some physicochemical indexes. Gene expression in cultured muscle cells demonstrated similarity to those in muscle tissues, whereas the corresponding variations in same genes occurred later.

Relationship between theanine, catechins and related genes reveals accumulation mechanism during spring and summer in tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.)

The tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) is an important commercial crop. Theanine and catechins, abundant in the tea plant and represented as secondary metabolites of the tea plant, contribute to the refreshing and astringent taste of tea, respectively. In this study, three C. sinensis cultivars, ‘Baojing Huangjincha 1′ (HJC1), ‘Huangjincha 2′ (HJC2), and ‘Huangjincha 168′ (HJC168) harvested in spring and summer were used to investigate differences in theanine and catechin concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography. The expression levels of genes associated with theanine and catechin biosynthesis were investigated using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results indicated that theanine, aspartic acid, serine, glutamate and alanine contents were higher in spring in three cultivars, while CsGDH1 showed higher expression in summer. As for catechins, HJC1 and HJC2 accumulated more epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG) contents in summer. On the contrary, HJC168 showed higher EGCG and ECG contents in spring. CsF3H showed higher expression in spring than in summer in three cultivars. Correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between the CsGABA-T expression and theanine contents in spring and summer (p<0.05), with the activity of GABA-T in theanine synthesis, implying that CsGABA-T might be a crucial positive regulator in theanine accumulation. Besides, most catechin compounds were positively correlated with related genes expression during summer. It was presumed that catechin synthesis contributes to catechin accumulation in summer. In summary, this study provides insights into the potential regulatory mechanisms of theanine and catechins in spring and summer.