Effects Of Inactivation Research Articles

Antibacterial Mechanism of Shikonin Against Vibrio vulnificus and Its Healing Potential on Infected Mice with Full-Thickness Excised Skin.

Shikonin has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing activities. Vibrio vulnificus is an important marine foodborne pathogen with a high fatality rate and rapid pathogenesis that can infect humans through ingestion and wounds. In this study, the antibacterial activity and possible antibacterial mechanism of shikonin against V. vulnificus were investigated. In addition, the ability of shikonin to control V. vulnificus infection in both pathways was assessed by artificially contaminated oysters and full-thickness excised skin-infected mice. Shikonin treatment can cause abnormal cell membrane function, as evidenced by hyperpolarization of the cell membrane, significant decreased intracellular ATP concentration (p < 0.05), significant increased intracellular reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde content (p < 0.05), decreased cell membrane integrity, and changes in cell morphology. Shikonin at 40 and 80 μg/mL reduced bacterial numbers in shikonin-contaminated oysters by 3.58 and 2.18 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL. Shikonin can promote wound healing in mice infected with V. vulnificus by promoting the formation of granulation tissue, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands, promoting epithelial cell regeneration and epidermal growth factor production. These findings suggest that shikonin has a strong inactivation effect on V. vulnificus and can be used in food production and wound healing to effectively control V. vulnificus and reduce the number of diseases associated with it.

High-hydrostatic-pressure inactivation of GI.5 and GII.4 human norovirus and effects on the physical, chemical, and taste characteristics of oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

Human norovirus (HuNoV) can cause acute gastroenteritis. Oyster is important vector for HuNoV transmission. Aiming to evaluate the inactivation effect of high-hydrostatic-pressure (HHP) on GI.5 and GⅡ.4 HuNoV, we placed GI.5 and GⅡ.4 HuNoV in oyster (Crassostrea virginica) digestive gland (DG) homogenate and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) under the pressure of 200, 300, 400, and 500 MPa at 5 °C for 5 min. Propidium monoazide (PMAxx)-RT-qPCR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to evaluate the inactivation effect. The physical, chemical, and taste characteristics were also analyzed to evaluate the sensory quality of oysters. The results showed that PMAxx-RT-qPCR could effectively distinguish infectious HuNoV. The tolerance of GI.5 HuNoV to HHP was higher than that of GII.4. DG homogenate had a certain protective effect on HuNoV to tolerate higher pressure. Two types of HuNoV in homogenate and buffer all decreased below the detection limit (500 MPa/5 min). The pH, hardness, springiness, and chewiness of oysters treated by HHP were enhanced. Therefore, HHP treatment under 500 MPa at 5 °C for 5 min can effectively eliminate HuNoV and maintain oyster quality. The data could inform the development of methods to control HuNoV in oysters and the safety of raw oysters for consumption.

Multi-frequency power thermosonication treatments of clear strawberry juice: Impact on color, bioactive compounds, flavor volatiles, microbial and polyphenol oxidase inactivation

Strawberry juice is popular among consumers for its bright color, unique flavor and rich nutrition. The aim of this study was to explore the suitable multi-frequency power thermosonication (TS) treatments to meet the requirements of microbiological safety for strawberry juice while maximizing the preservation of its quality properties. The TS treatments included 60 °C /5 min and 55 °C /15 min under dual-frequency concentrated ultrasound (DCU) and 60 °C /15 min and 55 °C /20 min under sweep-frequency divergent ultrasound (SDU). The results showed that all treatments could meet the requirements of commercial sterility (at 90 °C for 1 min). Compared with thermal processing (TP) at 90 °C for 1 min, TS treatment significantly improved the color properties of strawberry juice. SDU-60 °C and SDU-55 °C greatly retained the active ingredients in the strawberry juice. TS treatments had a stronger ability to maintain the aroma compared to TP. Especially, SDU-60 °C was the best treatment at retaining quality properties of strawberry juice with the highest comprehensive sensory evaluation score (7.68). Therefore, the results can provide scientific basis for industrial production of strawberry juice. Industrial relevanceIn the current study, results showed that TS maximized the overall quality of strawberry juice while achieving the effect of sterilization and enzyme inactivation. Among them, SDU-60 °C was the best treatment method to maintain the quality characteristics of strawberry juice, which can effectively reduce the loss of approximately 70% of total phenolic content. Thus, it provides the theoretical basis and technical support for the industrial production of strawberry juice.

Presenilins regulate synaptic plasticity in the perforant pathways of the hippocampus

Mutations in the Presenilin genes (PSEN1 and PSEN2) are the major cause of familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD), highlighting the importance of Presenilin (PS) in AD pathogenesis. Previous studies of PS function in the hippocampus demonstrated that loss of PS results in the impairment of short- and long-term synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter release at hippocampal Schaffer collateral (SC) and mossy fiber (MF) synapses. Cortical input to the hippocampus through the lateral perforant pathway (LPP) and the medial perforant pathway (MPP) is critical for normal cognitive functions and is particularly vulnerable during aging and early stages of AD. Whether PS regulates synaptic function in the perforant pathways, however, remained unknown. In the current study, we investigate PS function in the LPP and MPP by performing whole-cell and field-potential electrophysiological recordings using acute hippocampal slices from postnatal forebrain-restricted excitatory neuron-specific PS conditional double knockout (cDKO) mice. We found that paired-pulse ratio (PPR) is reduced in the LPP and MPP of PS cDKO mice. Moreover, synaptic frequency facilitation or depression in the LPP or MPP, respectively, is impaired in PS cDKO mice. Notably, depletion of intracellular Ca2+ stores by inhibition of sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) minics and occludes the effects of PS inactivation, as evidenced by decreases of the evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) amplitude in the LPP and MPP of control neurons but no effect on the EPSC amplitude in PS cDKO neurons, suggesting that impaired intracellular calcium homeostasis in the absence of PS may contribute to the observed deficits in synaptic transmission. While spontaneous synaptic events, such as both the frequency and the amplitude of spontaneous or miniature EPSCs, are similar between PS cDKO and control neurons, long-term potentiation (LTP) is impaired in the LPP and MPP of PS cDKO mice, accompanied with reduction of evoked NMDA receptor-mediated responses. These findings show the importance of PS in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and intracellular calcium homeostasis in the hippocampal perforant pathways.

Inactivation effects of the mist nebulized with plasma‐activated air on Pseudomonas aeruginosa through the simulated respiratory tract

AbstractPlasma‐based technology has been widely applied in the biomedicine, agriculture, and environmental fields. In this study, a new application mode, namely plasma‐activated nebulized mist (PANM) was proposed. The saline was nebulized by the plasma‐activated air to form a mist, and the inactivation effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa were analyzed based on the simulated respiratory tract. The PANM through the simulated trachea with different lengths or diameters, and the branched once or twice simulated respiratory tract exhibited effective inactivation effects. The PANM through the combined simulated trachea and pig trachea could also inactivate the bacteria on the inner wall of the pig trachea. This study supplied a potent alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.

Experimental Inactivation of Microalgae in Marine Ballast Water by Microbubbles Generated through Hydrodynamic Cavitation

This paper presents a novel approach to microbubble technology for the treatment of aquatic invasive organisms in ship ballast water. The microbubbles are produced by hydrodynamic cavitation with a sudden and dramatic water pressure drop. The air and ozone microbubbles, respectively, verified the bioavailability of ship ballast water treatment using marine microalgae as an indicator. Besides the effects of an ozone injection dose, the morphological changes of cells and the effluent toxicity were investigated. Compared with the ozone microbubble treatment, the inactivation of marine microalgae by air microbubbles required a long treatment time. In the storage experiment, it was found that air microbubbles did not inhibit the growth of microalgae cells, and that the injection of active matter such as ozone was still necessary to ensure the validity of biological invasion. However, even with very low doses of ozone, the inactivation effect of ozone microbubbles was still very evident. Overall, it helps to minimize the use of active matter to reduce the toxicity of treated water, and this has the capability to develop into an environmentally acceptable and practical ballast water treatment technology.

Role of NF-κB during Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) causes tuberculosis infection in humans worldwide, especially among immunocompromised populations and areas of the world with insufficient funding for tuberculosis treatment. Specifically, M. tb is predominantly exhibited as a latent infection, which poses a greater risk of reactivation for infected individuals. It has been previously shown that M. tb infection requires pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators to manage its associated granuloma formation via tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-12 (IL-12), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and caseum formation via IL-10, respectively. Nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) has been found to play a unique mediator role in providing a pro-inflammatory response to chronic inflammatory disease processes by promoting the activation of macrophages and the release of various cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-α. NF-κB's role is especially interesting in its mechanism of assisting the immune system's defense against M. tb, wherein NF-κB induces IL-2 receptors (IL-2R) to decrease the immune response, but has also been shown to crucially assist in keeping a granuloma and bacterial load contained. In order to understand NF-κB's role in reducing M. tb infection, within this literature review we will discuss the dynamic interaction between M. tb and NF-κB, with a focus on the intracellular signaling pathways and the possible side effects of NF-κB inactivation on M. tb infection. Through a thorough review of these interactions, this review aims to highlight the role of NF-κB in M. tb infection for the purpose of better understanding the complex immune response to M. tb infection and to uncover further potential therapeutic methods.

Non-Thermal Plasma Decontamination Using a Multi-Hollow Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge: Impact of Food Matrix Composition on Bactericidal Efficacy

The non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment of food products as an alternative for thermal processing has been investigated over the last few years. This quasi-neutral gas contains a wide variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which could be lethal for bacterial cells present in the product. However, apart from only targeting bacteria, the RONS will also interact with components present in the food matrix. Therefore, these food components will protect the microorganisms, and the NTP treatment efficiency will decrease. This effect was investigated by supplementing a plain agar medium with various representative food matrix components. After inoculation with Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) MB3885, the plates were treated for 30 s by a multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharge (MSDBD) generated in either dry air or air at 75% humidity, at constant power (25.7 ± 1.7 W). Subsequently, the survival of the cells was quantified. It has been found that the addition of casein hydrolysate (7.1 ± 0.2 m%), starch (2.0 m%), or soybean oil (4.6 m%) decreased the inactivation effect significantly. Food products containing these biomolecules might therefore need a more severe NTP treatment. Additionally, with increasing humidity of the plasma input gas, ozone levels decreased, and the bactericidal effect was generally less pronounced.

Predicting the Simultaneous Oxidation of Ammonia, Nitrite, and m-cresol and Microbial Growth in a Sequencing Batch Reactor with a Kinetic Model Using Inhibition and Inactivation Effects.

The kinetic model derived in this study was able to adequately predict the simultaneous oxidation of ammonia, nitrite, and m-cresol and microbial growth using nitrifying sludge in a sequencing batch reactor. Time-varying inhibition and inactivation effects were successfully incorporated in the process kinetics to account for the past cell exposure history to m-cresol increasing concentrations (up to 150 mg C L-1). The initial concentration of the microbial species (ammonia and nitrite oxidizers, heterotrophs) was evaluated using pyrosequencing of DNA samples of the consortium. These measurements allowed to establish a model that explicitly handles specific reaction rates and to enhance the practical identifiability of the model parameters. A single simulation run was used to adequately predict the kinetic behavior of the main variables throughout the 242 cycles using a single set of initial conditions in the first cycle. This kind of dynamic model may be used as a helpful predictive tool to improve nitrification by avoiding the occurrence of severely repetitive inhibitive conditions due to the presence of inhibitive/toxic aromatic compounds.

Maintaining Antibacterial Activity against Biofouling Using a Quaternary Ammonium Membrane Coupling with Electrorepulsion.

Antibacterial modification is a chemical-free method to mitigate biofouling, but surface accumulation of bacteria shields antibacterial groups and presents a significant challenge in persistently preventing membrane biofouling. Herein, a great synergistic effect of electrorepulsion and quaternary ammonium (QA) inactivation on maintaining antibacterial activity against biofouling has been investigated using an electrically conductive QA membrane (eQAM), which was fabricated by polymerization of pyrrole with QA compounds. The electrokinetic force between negatively charged Escherichia coli and cathodic eQAM prevented E. coli cells from reaching the membrane surface. More importantly, cathodic eQAM accelerated the detachment of cells from the eQAM surface, particularly for dead cells whose adhesion capacity was impaired by inactivation. The number of dead cells on the eQAM surface was declined by 81.2% while the number of live cells only decreased by 49.9%. Characterization of bacteria accumulation onto the membrane surface using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance revealed that the electrorepulsion accounted for the cell detachment rather than inactivation. In addition, QA inactivation mainly contributed to minimizing the cell adhesion capacity. Consequently, the membrane fouling was significantly declined, and the final normalized water flux was promoted higher than 20% with the synergistic effect of electrorepulsion and QA inactivation. This work provides a unique long-lasting strategy to mitigate membrane biofouling.

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Oxidized Bacterial Nanocellulose with Different Carboxyl Content.

Oxidized bacterial nanocellulose (OBC) is reported to prevent microbial growth, but its antibacterial characteristics and mechanism are still unclear. Here, the antibacterial mechanism of OBC is explored by detecting and assessing the interaction of OBC with different carboxyl content on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The results show that OBC has strong antibacterial activity and antibiofilm activity against S. aureus and E. coli, which is positively correlated with the carboxyl content of OBC. After OBC treatment, the bacteria adhesion is inhibited and the cell membrane is destroyed leading to increased permeability. Further investigation reveals that the concentration of cyclic diguanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP)that induced biofilm formation is significantly decreased to 1.81pmolmg-1 after OBC treatment. In addition, OBC inactivates mature biofilms, with inactivation rates up to 79.3%. This study suggests that OBC has excellent antibacterial and antiadhesion properties, which can increase the cell membrane permeability and inhibit c-di-GMP formation. In addition, OBC also has a strong inactivation effect on mature biofilm, which can be used as an effective antibiofilm agent.

Photothermal and selective microbial inactivation behaviors of gluconamide-coated IR780 nanoparticles

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising alternative treatment for bacterial infection. In this study, a photothermal nanoparticle was prepared by encapsulating IR780 into N-octyl-D-gluconamide (GA). The photothermal nanoparticle (IR780-GA NP) was evenly suspended in water with an average particle size of 42.2 nm. After exposure to near-infrared light, the temperature of the IR780-GA NP suspension was increased by around 15 °C within 5 min. This leads to an obvious microbial inactivation effect when it is adsorbed to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 2 orders of magnitude reduction of CFU concentration) and Escherichia coli (1.5 orders of magnitude reduction of CFU concentration). Interestingly, Salmonella typhimurium survived after the same treatment. Different strains also showed variations. The hemolysis test showed that IR780-GA NPs had good blood compatibility. In vivo experiments collaborated with the in vitro findings. The IR780-GA NP-triggered photothermal effects killed 63–100% of bacteria in the wound site of mice depending on the IR780-GA NP concentration. Overall, this study provided the fundamental basis of IR780-GA NPs in four aspects: fabrication, photothermal characterization, selective adsorption, and microbial inactivation (in vitro and in vivo). The findings of this study provide a practical approach for the development of mild photothermal therapy which targets specific bacterial strains and treats MRSA infection effectively.

Application of NaCl in Cold Atmospheric Plasma Jet and Plasma-Activated Solution to Enhance Virus Inactivation

Viruses are serious pathogenic contaminants that gravely threaten human health. There is an urgent need for environment-friendly and novel disinfection methods to inactivate various viruses. In this study, we applied the technique of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for virus disinfection. Particularly, we utilized the cold atmospheric plasma jet (CAPJ) and the plasma-activated solution (PAS) approaches for the treatment of bacteriophage MS2, and we added NaCl in the treatment system to enhance the disinfection efficiency. The inactivation effects under different CAPJ-PAS conditions using various plasma working gases were investigated. Also, the involved inactivation mechanisms due to respective active species were scrutinized. Our results showed that the addition of NaCl could considerably enhance the virus inactivation efficiency in the air/oxygen-CAPJ-PAS treatment, and during the direct CAPJ treatment, the primary inactivation factors were attributed to &amp;#183;OH, &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, ONOOH and ClO&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;, while for the indirect PAS treatment, the major inactivation contributors stemmed from &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; and ClO&lt;sup&gt;-&lt;/sup&gt;. This work therefore demonstrates the usefulness of NaCl in the CAPJ-PAS treatment in the virus inactivation and offers new perspectives on the application of CAP technology in disinfection of viruses.

Photodynamic toluidine blue-gold nanoconjugates as a novel therapeutic for Staphylococcal biofilms.

Staphylococci are among the most frequent bacteria known to cause biofilm-related infections. Pathogenic biofilms represent a global healthcare challenge due to their high tolerance to antimicrobials. In this study, water soluble polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated gold nanospheres (28 ppm) and nanostars (15 ppm) with electrostatically adsorbed photosensitizer (PS) Toluidine Blue O (TBO) ∼4 μM were successfully synthesized and characterized as PEG-GNPs@TBO and PEG-GNSs@TBO. Both nanoconjugates and the TBO 4 μM solution showed remarkable, if similar, antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation (aPDI) effects at 638 nm, inhibiting the formation of biofilms by two Staphylococcal strains: a clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolate and Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) RP62A. Alternatively in biofilm eradication treatments, the aPDI effects of PEG-GNSs@TBO were more effective and yielded a 75% and 50% reduction in viable count of MRSA and S. epidermidis RP62A preformed biofilms, respectively and when compared with untreated samples. This reduction in viable count was even greater than that obtained through aPDI treatment using a 40 μM TBO solution. Confocal laser microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of PEG-GNSs@TBO's aPDI treatments revealed significant changes in the integrity and morphology of biofilms, with fewer colony masses. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon PEG-GNSs@TBO's aPDI treatment was detected by CLSM using a specific ROS fluorescent probe, demonstrating bright fluorescence red spots across the surfaces of the treated biofilms. Our findings shine a light on the potential synergism between gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and photosensitizers in developing novel nanoplatforms to target Staphylococcal biofilm related infections.

Endocannabinoid control of neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury by monoacylglycerol lipase in astrocytes.

Endocannabinoid control of neuroinflammation in traumatic brain injury by monoacylglycerol lipase in astrocytes.

Effect of pressure-assisted thermal sterilization combining with ε-polylysine on Bacillus subtilis spore proteins, nucleic acids and other intraspore substances

Pressure-assisted thermal sterilization (PATS) is a new technology to inactivate bacterial spores and ensure food safety. Little has been known about the effects of PATS combining with ε-PL on the spore’s nucleic acid, enzymes and other key substances. This study aimed to investigate the inactivation effect of PATS combining with ε-PL on the spores of B. subtilis. The spores were treated with pressure 600 MPa at 25 °C, 65 °C and 75 °C, and ε-PL at 0.1% and 0.3%. After treatment, the survival rate of B. subtilis spores, leakage of nucleic acid and protein, the change in the cell membrane ATPase activity, the leakage of dipicolinic acid, and the damage on protein and nucleic acid of the spores were determined. The results showed that PATS combining with ε-PL inactivated more spores, and significantly increased the release of protein and nucleic acid compared to the control. ATPase activity reached the lowest value after the treatment of 600 MPa/75 °C combining with 0.3% ε-PL. The release of dipicolinic acid from the spores was increased by 600 MPa/75 °C combining with 0.3% ε-PL as compared with 600 MPa/75 °C treatment alone. FTIR analysis showed that a combination of PATS with ε-PL changed the spectral features of B. subtilis functional groups of proteins and nucleic acids. The PATS treatments when combined with ε-PL were found to shift the symmetric and antisymmetric stretching vibrational absorption peaks of phosphodiester group in nucleic acid molecules (P=O). This change suggested that the combined treatment denatured nucleic acid. The combined treatment also changed the protein from an ordered state to a disordered state, and decreased protein stability. The results improved our understanding on the principle of spore inactivation by PATS combining with ε-PL.

Near-infrared photothermal therapy of chiral Au helicoids with broadband optical absorption

Chiral Au helicoids have broadband optical absorption and a high anisotropy factor from 550 nm to 1100 nm and have a chirality dependent PTT inactivation effect on HeLa cells under NIR CPL.

Time-dose reciprocity mechanism for the inactivation of Escherichia coli explained by a stochastic process with two inactivation effects

There is a great demand for developing and demonstrating novel disinfection technologies for protection against various pathogenic viruses and bacteria. In this context, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation offers an effective and convenient method for the inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms. The quantitative evaluation of the efficacy of UV sterilization relies on the simple time-dose reciprocity law proposed by Bunsen-Roscoe. However, the inactivation rate constants reported in the literature vary widely, even at the same dose and wavelength of irradiation. Thus, it is likely that the physical mechanism of UV inactivation cannot be described by the simple time-dose reciprocity law but requires a secondary inactivation process, which must be identified to clarify the scientific basis. In this paper, we conducted a UV inactivation experiment with Escherichia coli at the same dose but with different irradiances and irradiation durations, varying the irradiance by two to three orders of magnitude. We showed that the efficacy of inactivation obtained by UV-light emitting diode irradiation differs significantly by one order of magnitude at the same dose but different irradiances at a fixed wavelength. To explain this, we constructed a stochastic model introducing a second inactivation rate, such as that due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) that contribute to DNA and/or protein damage, together with the fluence-based UV inactivation rate. By solving the differential equations based on this model, the efficacy of inactivation as a function of the irradiance and irradiation duration under the same UV dose conditions was clearly elucidated. The proposed model clearly shows that at least two inactivation rates are involved in UV inactivation, where the generally used UV inactivation rate does not depend on the irradiance, but the inactivation rate due to ROS does depend on the irradiance. We conclude that the UV inactivation results obtained to date were simply fitted by one inactivation rate that superimposed these two inactivation rates. The effectiveness of long-term UV irradiation at a low irradiance but the same dose provides useful information for future disinfection technologies such as the disinfection of large spaces, for example, hospital rooms using UV light, because it can reduce the radiation dose and its risk to the human body.

Identification of Genes Associated with Liver Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer Reveals PCSK6 as a Crucial Mediator

Liver metastasis occurs frequently in patients with pancreatic cancer. We analyzed the molecular profiling in liver metastatic lesions aiming to uncover novel genes responsible for tumor progression. Bioinformatics analysis was applied to identify genes directing liver metastasis. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to knock out the candidate gene. Proliferation assays, colony formation assays, cell cycle analysis, migration assays, wound healing assays, Immunofluorescence analysis, and the tumor xenograft model of intrasplenic injection were adopted to evaluate the effects of PCSK6 inactivation on cell growth, migration and liver metastasis. GSEA and Western blot were used to investigate the corresponding signaling pathway. PCSK6 was one of the obtained liver-metastasis-related genes in pancreatic cancer. PCSK6 inactivation inhibited cell growth and cell migration, due to G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and the remodeling of cell-cell junctions or the cell skeleton, respectively. PCSK6 inactivation led to fewer counts and lower outgrowth rates of liver metastatic niches in vivo. The Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 axis was repressed by PCSK6 inactivation. Accordingly, we found PCSK6 inactivation could inhibit cell growth, cell migration, and liver metastasis, and explored the role of the Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 axis in PCSK6 inactivation. PCSK6-targeted therapy might represent a novel approach for combatting liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer.

Effect of high-voltage electrospray on the inactivation, induced damage and growth of microorganisms and flavour components of honey raspberry wine

Electrospray (ES) is a new non-thermal processing technology for pasteurising liquid foods. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ES on the cell structure and function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and then compare the effects of ES and heat treatment (HT) on microbial inactivation and flavour composition in honey raspberry wine. First, we found that the inactivation effect of ES treatment on the three microorganisms was significantly influenced by the voltage intensity. The degree of damage to the cellular structures and functions of the three microorganisms increased with increasing voltage. Second, the environment in which the microorganisms were present significantly influenced the ES pasteurisation effect. Pasteurisation by ES was better when the three microorganisms were in honey raspberry wine than in saline. Finally, the total number of colonies in honey raspberry wine was reduced from 4.50 to 2.03 log colony forming units/mL after ES treatment, and the wine had good stability during storage (84 days at 4 °C). In the honey raspberry wine, the contents of the main flavour substances (ketones and esters) did not change significantly after ES treatment, but HT decreased the content of esters and ketones by 13.5 % and 75.4 %, respectively.