Free Acids Research Articles

Highly specific and sensitive sandwich-type electrochemiluminescence biosensor for HPV16 DNA detection based on the base-stacking effect and bovine serum albumin carrier platform

The detection of specific DNA sequences and the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms are important for disease diagnosis. Herein, by combining the high specificity of the base-stacking effect with the high reproducibility of bovine serum albumin (BSA) modified electrodes and the high loading performance of DNA nanoclews (DNA NCs), a novel sandwich-type electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor is reported for the highly specific detection of HPV16 (chosen as the model target). The capture probes are loaded by BSA carrier platforms modified on the gold electrode surface to improve reproducibility. DNA NCs loaded with a large amount of Ru(phen)32+ worked as signal probes. The template probe is composed of the complementary strand of the target and two free nucleic acid anchors at the head and tail. In the presence of the target DNA, the template probes can form stacked base pairs with target, generating high base-stacking energy. This results in the shorter free anchors of template probes being able to bind to the capture and signal probes. This eventually forms a sandwich structure that allows Ru(phen)32+ to be near the electrode surface, producing an ECL signal. There is a linear relationship between the signal and the target concentration range from 10 fM to 100 pM, with a detection limit of 5.03 fM (S/N=3). Moreover, the base-stacking effect has single base recognition ability for base pairs, effectively avoiding false positive signals. The results of this strategy for clinical samples are consistent with classical methods.

A Comparative LC/MS Analysis of Jordanian Olive Stone, Fruits, Leaves, and Oils

The olive (Oleo europaea L.) may be a broadly dispersed plant that began within the Mediterranean locale. Its natural product is commonly utilized to create olive oil, table olives, and other by-products. Olives are rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Most olive items and the dietary composition of olive oil centering on fatty acids, phenolic compounds, and other cancer prevention agents are changed in numerous parts of olive plants. The most chemical constituents important to the natural movement of olive oil were inspected. Fluid-chromatography–mass spectrometry(LC/MS) investigation uncovered more than 50 major phenolic compounds among which oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol apigenin 7-O-glucoside, tyrosol, catechin, and vanillic corrosive were recognized. Olive clears out, wealthy in carotenoids and chlorophyll, the olive stone and seed are vital products produced within the olive oil extraction, as a lingo cellulosic fabric, the hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin are the most components of olive stone as well as protein, fat, phenols, free sugars, and polyols composition. Both lipophilic and hydrophilic phenolics are conveyed in olive natural products. The most lipophilic phenols are cresols whereas the major hydrophilic phenols incorporate phenolic acids, phenolic alcohols, flavonoids, and secoiridoids; they are shown in nearly all parts of the plant, but their nature and concentration shift incredibly between the tissues. Olive oil is composed primarily of triacylglycerols (triglycerides or fats) and contains little amounts of free greasy acids (FFA), glycerol, phosphatides, shades, flavor compounds, sterols, and minuscule bits of olive. Olive stones have a most noteworthy sum of rutin. Luteolin appeared the most noteworthy sum in takes off, while the least level was found in oils, tall concentrations of tyrosol, vanillic, and caffeic corrosive, and vanillin was found in stones. In common, rutin and luteolin 7-O-glucoside were the two fundamental flavonoids identified in all parts.

Barley and Malt as Base Ingredients for the Production of New Bio-Functional Foods

This work aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, bioactive compounds (phenolics and γ-aminobutyric acid, GABA), and antioxidant properties of different barley varieties (Overture, Charles, Sinfonía, Montoya, and Andreia) and their malts to weigh up them as potential ingredients for producing new bio-functional foods. For this, five barleys and five malts obtained from them were studied. Regarding chemical composition, total starch was the main component (≈62%) of barleys followed by total dietary fiber (≈22.6%) and proteins (≈9.5%). Potassium and phosphorus were the most abundant elements, with mean values being 3746.1 and 3679.1 g 100g<sup>-1</sup>d.w., respectively. Regarding the free amino acid profile, the proportion of hydrophobic free amino acids was higher than that of branched-chain amino acids or sulfur-containing amino acids and the mean value of GABA was 8.8 mg 100g<sup>-1</sup>. Ferulic acid was the most abundant free phenolic acid detected in the different barleys, followed by coumaric acid. All barley extracts showed ABTS and DPPH inhibitory activities and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). As expected, total starch, total dietary fiber, and crude fat contents of malts were lower than those found for barley. However, the malting process increased GABA, ferulic acid, hydrophobic free amino acids, branched-chain amino acids, and sulfur amino acid contents. Additionally, the antioxidant properties of malts were higher than those obtained for barleys. Barley flour could be successfully used as a bio-functional ingredient in many foods. Furthermore, given the high content of soluble solids (mainly carbohydrates, antioxidant compounds such as free phenolic acids and free amino acids, and GABA), malted flours would be novel ingredients for preparing beverages with bio-functional properties.

Effect of free ammonia and free nitrous acid on nitrogen removal of heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification bacteria

Free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA) can inhibit nitrogen removal by nitrifying microorganisms. However, current studies on FA and FNA mainly focus on traditional nitrifying microorganisms, and little is known about the relationship between heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HN-AD) microorganisms and FA and FNA. This study selected Alcaligenes faecalis WT14, an HN-AD strain, as the research object. The effects of different FA and FNA concentrations on the nitrogen removal ability of strain WT14 were investigated under neutral (pH = 7) and alkaline (pH = 9) conditions. The results showed that FA and FNA affected the removal ability of strain WT14 to ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2−-N). The rapid reduction of NH4+-N removal efficiency was determined at different concentrations of 6.12 mg·L−1 (pH = 7) and 551.18 mg·L−1 (pH = 9) for FA, which was 0.483 mg·L−1 (pH = 7) and 0.005 mg·L−1 (pH = 9) for FNA, respectively. Strain WT14 preferred an alkaline environment for growth; the FA tolerance value was 1134.25 mg·L−1 in such an environment, which was 51.8 times that of a neutral environment. Furthermore, strain WT14 had a higher removal rate of NH4+-N and NO2−-N in an alkaline environment. Its highest removal rates of NH4+-N and NO2−-N were 15.03 mg·L−1·h−1 and 7.16 mg·L−1·h−1, respectively, which was much higher than the reported HN-AD microorganisms.

Prediction of systemic free and total valproic acid by off-line analysis of exhaled breath in epileptic children and adolescents.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of medications with a narrow therapeutic window is a common clinical practice to minimize toxic effects and maximize clinical outcomes. Routine analyses rely on the quantification of systemic blood concentrations of drugs. Alternative matrices such as exhaled breath are appealing because of their inherent non-invasive nature. This is especially the case for pediatric patients. We have recently showcased the possibility of predicting systemic concentrations of valproic acid (VPA), an anti-seizure medication by real-time breath analysis in two real clinical settings. This approach, however, comes with the limitation of the patients having to physically exhale into the mass spectrometer. This restricts the possibility of sampling from patients not capable or available to exhale into the mass spectrometer located on the hospital premises. In this work, we developed an alternative method to overcome this limitation by collecting the breath samples in customized bags and subsequently analyzing them by secondary electrospray ionization coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (SESI-HRMS). A total ofn= 40 patients (mean ± SD, 11.5 ± 3.5 y.o.) diagnosed with epilepsy and taking VPA were included in this study. The patients underwent three measurements: (i) serum concentrations of total and free VPA, (ii) real-time breath analysis and (iii) off-line analysis of exhaled breath collected in bags. The agreement between the real-time and the off-line breath analysis methods was evaluated using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). CCC was computed for ten mass spectral predictors of VPA concentrations. Lin's CCC was >0.6 for all VPA-associated features, except for two low-signal intensity isotopic peaks. Finally, free and total serum VPA concentrations were predicted by cross validating the off-line data set. Support vector machine algorithms provided the most accurate predictions with a root mean square error of cross validation of 29.0 ± 7.4 mg l-1and 3.9 ± 1.4 mg l-1for total and free VPA (mean ± SD), respectively. As a secondary analysis, we explored whether exhaled metabolites previously associated with side-effects and response to medication could be rendered by the off-line analysis method. We found that five features associated with side effects showed a CCC > 0.6, whereas none of the drug response-associated peaks reached this cut-off. We conclude that the clinically relevant free fraction of VPA can be predicted by this combination of off-line breath collection with rapid SESI-HRMS analysis. This opens new possibilities for breath based TDM in clinical settings.

The Use of Soy and Egg Phosphatidylcholines Modified with Caffeic Acid Enhances the Oxidative Stability of High-Fat (70%) Fish Oil-in-Water Emulsions

This study investigated the effect of the combined use of sodium caseinate (CAS), commercial phosphatidylcholine (PC), and modified PCs on the physical and oxidative stability of 70% fish oil-in-water emulsions. Caffeic acid was covalently attached to both modified PCs (PCs originated from soy and eggs) in order to increase the antioxidant activity of PCs and investigate the advantage of bringing the antioxidant activity to the close proximity of the oil-water interface. Results showed that oxidative stability was improved when part of the PC was substituted with modified soy PC or egg PC. Emulsions containing a low concentration of modified PCs (10 wt.% of total PC) resulted in a prooxidative effect on the formation of hydroperoxides compared to emulsions with free caffeic acid. On the other hand, a decrease in the formation of volatile oxidation products was observed for emulsions containing higher levels of modified PCs (60 wt.% of total PC) compared to the emulsions with free caffeic acid added at its equivalent concentration. Increased concentrations of modified PCs provided better oxidative stability in high-fat emulsions, independent of the modified PC type. Moreover, when oxidation was initiated by producing singlet oxygen near a single oil droplet using a focused laser, fluorescence imaging showed that the oxidation did not propagate from one oil droplet to another oil droplet.

Influencing factors on the activity of an enriched Nitrospira culture with granular morphology

ABSTRACT Nitrospira is a common genus of nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB) found in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). To identify the key factors influencing the composition of NOB communities, research was conducted using both sequencing batch reactor (SBR) and continuous flow reactor under different conditions. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that Nitrospira (18.79% in R1 and 25.77% in R3) was the dominant NOB under low dissolved oxygen (DO) and low nitrite ( NO 2 − -N) concentrations, while Nitrobacter (21.26% in R2) was the dominant NOB under high DO and high NO 2 − -N concentrations. Flocculent and granule sludge were cultivated with Nitrospira as the dominant genus. Compared to Nitrospira flocculent sludge, Nitrospira granule sludge had higher inhibition threshold concentrations for free ammonia (FA) and free nitrous acid (FNA). It was more likely to resist adverse environmental disturbances. Furthermore, the effects of environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and DO on the activity of Nitrospira granular sludge were also studied. The results showed that the optimum temperature and pH for Nitrospira granular sludge were 36°C and 7.0, respectively. Additionally, Nitrospira granular sludge showed a higher dissolved oxygen half-saturation constant (Ko) of 3.67 ± 0.71 mg/L due to its morphological characteristics. However, the majority of WWTPs conditions do not meet the conditions for the Nitrospira granular sludge. Thus, it can be speculated that future development of aerobic partial nitrification granular sludge may automatically eliminate the influence of Nitrospira. This study provides a theoretical basis for a deeper understanding of Nitrospira and the development of future water treatment processes.

Synthesis of β,γ-Unsaturated Aliphatic Acids via Ligand-Enabled Dehydrogenation.

α,β-Dehydrogenation of aliphatic acids has been realized through both enolate and β-C-H metalation pathways. However, the synthesis of isolated β,γ-unsaturated aliphatic acids via dehydrogenation has not been achieved to date. Herein, we report the ligand-enabled β,γ-dehydrogenation of abundant and inexpensive free aliphatic acids, which provides a new synthetic disconnection as well as a versatile platform for the downstream functionalization of complex molecules at remote γ-sites. A variety of free aliphatic acids, including acyclic and cyclic systems with ring sizes from five-membered to macrocyclic, undergo efficient dehydrogenation. Notably, this protocol features good chemoselectivity in the presence of more accessible α-C-H bonds and excellent regioselectivity in fused bicyclic scaffolds. The utility of this protocol has been demonstrated by the late-stage functionalization of a series of bioactive terpene natural products at the γ-sites. Further functionalization of the β,γ-double bond allows for the installation of covalent warheads, including epoxides, aziridines, and β-lactones, into complex natural product scaffolds, which are valuable for targeted covalent drug discovery.

Characterization of the metabolic fate of sinapic acid in rats.

Sinapic acid (SA) is ubiquitously distributed in the plant kingdom as a free organic acid and more frequently as a biosynthetic pioneer for SA derivatives, e.g., SA esters. Broad biological and pharmacological activities have been disclosed for SA. Because of the metabolism lability property, metabolites instead of the parent compound should be the primary forms after oral treatment of SA, and those metabolites should also be rapidly observed from SA following administration of SA derivative. Hence, the metabolites might provide a primary contribution to the pharmacological properties of SA; however, the metabolite profile remains unclear. Here, our efforts were devoted to addressing this issue through deploying online energy-resolved mass spectrometry (ER-MS) to accomplish isomer identification which is the key issue hindering metabolite identification, notably those conjugated metabolites. After recording breakdown graphs of concerned fragment ions with online ER-MS, the positive correlations between optimal collision energy (OCE) and bond dissociation energy (BDE) were applied to assign candidate structures to isomeric signals. Moreover, in vitro metabolism with liver cellular subfractions, UV-triggered cis-/trans-configuration transformation, and wet-chemistry hydrogenation were carried out to justify the structures. As a result, sixteen metabolites (M1-M16) were found and confirmatively identified in rat plasma and urine following SA administration, and sulfation, glucuronidation, demethylation, reduction, and dihydroxylation served as the primary metabolic channels. Noteworthily, greater distribution occurred for sulfation and glucuronidation products while inferior distributions were observed for phase I metabolites, and the half-life (T1/2) of most metabolites was greater than that of SA. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the metabolic fate of SA. More importantly, the fortification of online ER-MS and quantum structure calculation to the conventional LC-MS program is eligible to achieve unambiguous identification of isomeric metabolites.

Decoupling the simultaneous effects of NO2−, pH and free nitrous acid on N2O and NO production from enriched nitrifying activated sludge

In the pursuit of energy and carbon neutrality, nitrogen removal technologies have been developed featuring nitrite (NO2−) accumulation. However, high NO2− accumulations are often associated with stimulated greenhouse gas (i.e., nitrous oxide, N2O) emissions. Furthermore, the coexistence of free nitrous acid (FNA) formed by NO2− and proton (pH) makes the consequence of NO2− accumulation on N2O emissions complicated. The concurrent three factors, NO2−, pH and FNA may play different roles on N2O and nitric oxide (NO) emissions simultaneously, which has not been systematically studied. This study aims to decouple the effects of NO2− (0-200 mg N/L), pH (6.5-8) and FNA (0-0.15 mg N/L) on the N2O and NO production rates and the production pathways by ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), with the use of a series of precisely executed batch tests and isotope site-preference analysis. Results suggested the dominant factors affecting the N2O production rate were NO2− and FNA concentrations, while pH alone played a relatively insignificant role. The most influential factor shifted from NO2− to FNA as FNA concentrations increased from 0 to 0.15 mg N/L. At concentrations below 0.0045 mg HNO2-N/L, nitrite rather than FNA played a significant role stimulating N2O production at elevated nitrite concentrations. The inhibition effect of FNA emerged with further increase of FNA between 0.0045-0.015 mg HNO2-N/L, weakening the promoting effect of increased nitrite. While at concentrations above 0.015 mg HNO2-N/L, FNA inhibited N2O production especially from nitrifier denitrification pathway with the level of inhibition linearly correlated with the FNA concentration. pH and the nitrite concentration regulated the production pathways, with elevated pH promoting the nitrifier nitrification pathway, while elevated NO2− concentrations promoting the nitrifier denitrification pathway. In contrast to N2O, NO emission was less susceptible to FNA at concentrations up to 0.015 mg N/L but was stimulated by increasing NO2− concentrations. This study, for the first time, distinguished the effects of pH, NO2− and FNA on N2O and NO production, thereby providing support to the design and operation of novel nitrogen removal systems with NO2− accumulation.

Microbiological Quality of Polish Artisanal Varietal Honeys.

On the basis of routine microbiological tests and selected physicochemical parameters, the quality and food safety of Polish varietal honeys were evaluated. The study included 21 honey samples from 5 varieties (multifloral, honeydew, rapeseed, buckwheat and linden), in which the moisture and extract content, water activity, pH and free acids were determined, and the colony count, the presumptive Bacillus spp., the total fungal count and the presence of anaerobic spore-forming bacilli were examined. More than half (52%, 11/21) of the analyzed honeys contained fewer microorganisms than 10 cfu/g, and in the remaining samples, their numbers ranged from 5 × 101 cfu/g to 4.5 × 102 cfu/g. In all the honeys, the number of presumptive Bacillus spp. in 1 g was less than 10 cfu. In 81% (17/21) of the samples, the total count of fungi in 1 g of honey was less than 10 cfu, and the most contaminated was buckwheat honey (3 samples). The anaerobic spore-forming bacteria was detected in 0.1 g only in one sample of buckwheat honey. The values of the physicochemical parameters did not exceed the accepted limits, which indicated that the honey environment was unfavourable for the development of the tested microbial profile.

Fermentation of Betaphycus gelatinum Using Lactobacillus brevis: Growth of Probiotics, Total Polyphenol Content, Polyphenol Profile, and Antioxidant Capacity.

Little information is available regarding polyphenol variations in the food processing of edible and medicinal red seaweed, Betaphycus gelatinum. This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus brevis fermentation on total polyphenol content (TPC), polyphenol profile, and antioxidant activity in Betaphycus gelatinum pretreated by ultrasound-assisted mild acid hydrolysis for the first time. During 60 h of fermentation, the viable colony number significantly increased, pH significantly decreased, and reducing sugar content significantly decreased initially, then significantly increased. Free TPC significantly increased to 865.42 ± 29.29 μg GAE/g DW (163.09% increase) with increasing antioxidant activity, while bound TPC significantly decreased to 1004.90 ± 87.32 μg GAE/g DW (27.69% decrease) with decreasing antioxidant activity. Furthermore, 27 polyphenol compounds were identified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography with Xevo triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. In total, 19 and 23 free polyphenols and 24 and 20 bound polyphenols were identified before and after fermentation, respectively. Before fermentation, bound trans-cinnamic acid (56.75%), bound rosmarinic acid (26.62%), and free trans-cinnamic acid (3.85%) were the main components. After fermentation, free rosmarinic acid (43.57%), bound trans-cinnamic acid (15.19%), bound rosmarinic acid (13.33%), and free trans-cinnamic acid (5.99%) were the main components. These results provide information for the food processing of Betaphycus gelatinum.

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT, CADRE TRAINING, AND MASS EXAMINATION FOR CERVICAL CANCER DETECTION

Cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the main reason people die from cancer in poor countries like Indonesia. Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that is caused by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and can be dangerous to a woman's health. Cervical cancer has the second most cases and deaths in the world, after breast cancer. The East Java Provincial Health Office's Health Profile for 2021 says that Trenggalek is an area with a low rate of cervical cancer screening. So, we started doing community service projects to make more people aware of cervical cancer. This community event began with drinks for the staff and a talk about cervical cancer and how to find it early. Some of the things that are done are health education about cervical cancer and ways to find it early. During this practice, women of reproductive age (WUS) were also asked to take part in a free Visual Acetate Acid (VIA) test done by the team. The next event was a free VIA test, which 21 WUS students took part in. The results of the VIA test showed that 20 people had bad VIA and one person had good VIA. The team then sent people who had a good VIA to get more care. Women, cadres, and other important people in the community can learn more about cervical cancer through community service. However, community service in other areas is needed in the coming year so that this issue can be brought up and the community can benefit from it, especially since cervical cancer is on the rise. People also think that this would change how women with cervical cancer get their treatments and improve their quality of life.

Transcriptional and Metabolic Profiling of Arabidopsis thaliana Transgenic Plants Expressing Histone Acetyltransferase HAC1 upon the Application of Abiotic Stress-Salt and Low Temperature.

Augmented knowledge of plant responses upon application of stress could help improve our understanding of plant tolerance under abiotic stress conditions. Histone acetylation plays an important role in gene expression regulation during plant growth and development and in the response of plants to abiotic stress. The current study examines the level of transcripts and free metabolite content in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing a gene encoding histone acetyltransferase from Medicago truncatula (MtHAC1) after its heterologous expression. Stable transgenic plants with HAC1 gain and loss of function were constructed, and their T5 generation was used. Transgenic lines with HAC1-modified expression showed a deviation in root growth dynamics and leaf area compared to the wild-type control. Transcriptional profiles were evaluated after the application of salinity stress caused by 150 mM NaCl at four different time points (0, 24, 48, and 72 h) in treated and non-treated transgenic and control plants. The content and quantity of free metabolites-amino acids, mono- and dicarbohydrates, organic acids, and fatty acids-were assessed at time points 0 h and 72 h in treated and non-treated transgenic and control plants. The obtained transcript profiles of HAC1 in transgenic plants with modified expression and control were assessed after application of cold stress (low temperature, 4 °C).

Modification of rosin resin acids to improve their hydrophobizing action on paper and cardboard

The modification of rosin resin acids, which improves their hydrophobic effect on paper and cardboard, is based on the implementation of 6 stages. Control of chemical processes at each stage is carried out by monitoring and regulating temperature and flow parameters, which determine the achievement of the required physical and chemical properties and composition of intermediates and final substance. One of the main indicators is the acid number, which for the final substance should be 60–70 mg KOH/g, which corresponds to the content of free resin acids in the functional substance of 40–45 %. The fulfillment of the specified temperature and consumption parameters for the modification of resin acids of rosin and the achievement of the necessary physicochemical properties of intermediates at each stage ensures the production of a functional substance with an improved hydrophobic effect on paper and cardboard. Compared to the traditionally used TM adhesive-paste, the developed functional substance in the production of paper with absorbency at one-sided wetting of not more than 21 g/m2 provides a reduction in the content of particles of the dispersed phase of the rosin emulsion by 1.4–2.0 times, which indicates its improved properties, and maximum preservation of the original strength of the paper by reducing the distance between the fibers due to a 3.3–3.8 times reduction (from 4200–5000 to 1100–1480 nm) in the size of sizing complexes.

Identifying potential therapeutic targets of mulberry leaf extract for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a TMT-based quantitative proteomic analysis

BackgroundMulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf, as a medicinal and food homologous traditional Chinese medicine, has a clear therapeutic effect on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), yet its underlying mechanisms have not been totally clarified. The study aimed to explore the mechanism of mulberry leaf in the treatment of T2DM through tandem mass tag (TMT)—based quantitative proteomics analysis of skeletal muscle.MethodsThe anti-diabetic activity of mulberry leaf extract (MLE) was evaluated by using streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats at a dose of 4.0 g crude drug /kg p.o. daily for 8 weeks. Fasting blood glucose, body weight, food and water intake were monitored at specific intervals, and oral glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were conducted at the 7th and 8th week respectively. At the end of the experiment, levels of glycated hemoglobin A1c, insulin, free fat acid, leptin, adiponectin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were assessed and the pathological changes of rat skeletal muscle were observed by HE staining. TMT-based quantitative proteomic analysis of skeletal muscle and bioinformatics analysis were performed and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were validated by western blot. The interactions between the components of MLE and DEPs were further assessed using molecular docking.ResultsAfter 8 weeks of MLE intervention, the clinical indications of T2DM such as body weight, food and water intake of rats were improved to a certain extent, while insulin sensitivity was increased and glycemic control was improved. Serum lipid profiles were significantly reduced, and the skeletal muscle fiber gap and atrophy were alleviated. Proteomic analysis of skeletal muscle showed that MLE treatment reversed 19 DEPs in T2DM rats, regulated cholesterol metabolism, fat digestion and absorption, vitamin digestion and absorption and ferroptosis signaling pathways. Key differential proteins Apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA1) and ApoA4 were successfully validated by western blot and exhibited strong binding activity to the MLE’s ingredients.ConclusionsThis study first provided skeletal muscle proteomic changes in T2DM rats before and after MLE treatment, which may help us understand the molecular mechanisms, and provide a foundation for developing potential therapeutic targets of anti-T2DM of MLE.Graphical

Changes in the levels of free sialic acid during ex vivo lung perfusion do not correlate with pulmonary function. Experimental model

BackgroundEx vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) constitutes a tool with great research potential due to its advantages over in vivo and in vitro models. Despite its important contribution to lung reconditioning, this technique has the disadvantage of incurring high costs and can induce pulmonary endothelial injury through perfusion and ventilation. The pulmonary endothelium is made up of endothelial glycocalyx (EG), a coating of proteoglycans (PG) on the luminal surface. PGs are glycoproteins linked to terminal sialic acids (Sia) that can affect homeostasis with responses leading to edema formation. This study evaluated the effect of two ex vivo perfusion solutions on lung function and endothelial injury.MethodsWe divided ten landrace swine into two groups and subjected them to EVLP for 120 min: Group I (n = 5) was perfused with Steen® solution, and Group II (n = 5) was perfused with low-potassium dextran-albumin solution. Ventilatory mechanics, histology, gravimetry, and sialic acid concentrations were evaluated.ResultsBoth groups showed changes in pulmonary vascular resistance and ventilatory mechanics (p < 0.05, Student’s t-test). In addition, the lung injury severity score was better in Group I than in Group II (p < 0.05, Mann–Whitney U); and both groups exhibited a significant increase in Sia concentrations in the perfusate (p < 0.05 t-Student) and Sia immunohistochemical expression.ConclusionsSia, as a product of EG disruption during EVLP, was found in all samples obtained in the system; however, the changes in its concentration showed no apparent correlation with lung function.

From liquid to crystal via mechanochemical grinding: unique host-guest (HOF) cocrystal.

Mechanochemical synthesis via grinding of trimesic acid (TA, C9H6O6) and 4-chlorophenyl diphenyl phosphate (4CDP, C18H14ClO4P) (liquid at room temperature) in a 1:1 ratio resulted in the formation of an inclusion type of cocrystal. The crystallization of this phase via slow evaporation at low temperature (276-277 K) from methanol resulted in a rare `stairstep morphology' during the process of crystal growth. This morphology was not observed after crystallization of the compound from other solvents like toluene, dichloromethane, acetone, hexane and isooctane, and hence this was characteristically observed in methanol only. The characterization from single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed the formation of a cocrystal with five molecules of TA and two molecules of 4CDP in the asymmetric unit. The trimesic acid molecules form hydrogen-bonded dimers resulting in hexagonal rings, and these rings are stacked through π-π intermolecular interactions to make a hexagonal honeycomb-like structure. The phosphate molecules, 4CDP, were found to be trapped as guests in these hexagonal channels. The similarity in the packing of trimesic acid is compared in the cocrystal and the free acid quantitatively via Xpac analysis, which establishes the relationship of a `2D supramolecular construct' between them. This signifies a unique type of arrangement in which the voids created by the trimesic acid moiety do not undergo distortion by the inclusion of the guest molecules. The quantitative analysis of the intermolecular interactions using Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots deciphers the role of both strong O-H...O hydrogen bonds and weak intermolecular interactions in the crystal packing.

Removal of free acids from heavy alkylbenzene sulfonic acid by a novel three-step method

Excessive amounts of free acids will significantly reduce the quality of heavy alkylbenzene sulfonic acid and its downstream products. To get rid of the excess free acids in heavy alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, a novel three-step deacidification technique called barium salt neutralization method was developed with the aware of “process intensification” in this work. Various factors affecting the deacidification process were thoroughly studied. Results show that using this deacidification method, the free acids content in heavy alkylbenzene sulfonic acid can be reduced from 1.5% to less than 0.1% at the producing condition of room temperature, atmospheric pressure, reusable green solvent, and short time. The free acids removal rate and recovery rate of feed can reach to 96.7% and 95.3%, respectively. It has been demonstrated that the barium salt neutralization method is an effective way to lower the amount of free acids in heavy alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, and can be readily turned into practical applications.

Totally chlorine-free peracetic acid pulping for nanocellulose isolation from hemp and poplar

Nanocellulose is a promising and sustainable feedstock for developing advanced and functional materials. However, the characteristics of nanocellulose, such as crystallinity, surface energy, and aspect ratio, can vary depending on biomass source and pretreatment methods, leading to variable performance of the nanocellu-lose-based materials. In this study, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were isolated from hemp and poplar using totally chlorine free (TCF) peracetic acid and sodium chlorite delignification and bleaching pretreatments to probe the influences of biomass source and treatment methods on the isolation and characteristics of CNCs. Our results showed that hemp and poplar were almost completely delignified by peracetic acid treatment, whereas sodium chlorite treatment left 5%–6% lignin in the pulp. The yields of CNCs from raw hemp and poplar biomass ranged from 9.8% to 21.9% and 10.9% to 28.3%, respectively, depending on the treatment methods. The dimensions of CNCs from TCF-treated biomass generally maintained a larger width and aspect ratio than those from sodium chlorite-treated biomass. The poplar-derived CNCs exhibited slightly higher crystallinity of 53%–58% than hemp-derived CNCs of 49%–54%. The zeta potential of the CNCs, ranging from -20.1 mV to -31.1 mV, ensured a well-dispersed aqueous solution. The surface energy (dispersive energy of 40–80 mJ/m2 and specific energy of 2–10 mJ/m2), water interaction, and thermal stability of the CNCs were comparable, regardless of the biomass source and pretreatment methods. Our finding suggests that the TCF technique with peracetic acid treatment is a promising delignification and bleaching approach to obtain cellulose-rich pulps from herbaceous and hardwood biomass for nanocellulose isolation.