Selective elimination of aniline contaminants induced by semiquinone radicals during peracetic acid oxidation of dihydroxybenzenes.

Multiple catabolism contributes to biodegradation of phthalate-based plasticizers in Acinetobacter baumannii.

Evaluation of anti-quorum-sensing activity of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel extract and punicalagin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

Danshen-Honghua herb pair: A review on chemical constituents, pharmacology, clinical application, quality control, and t-copula function analysis.

YiJing Powder activates the HO-1/NRF2/KEAP1 antioxidant axis to remodel lipid metabolism and ameliorate oligoasthenospermia.

ABSTRACT Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.) has been widely consumed in Mexico as an important source of nutrients in the diet. Older, larger, and fibrous cladodes lose commercial interest for human consumption, resulting in a by-product rich in different bioactive compounds. In this work, the optimization of a microwave pretreatment combined with a reflux extraction of antioxidants from Opuntia spp cladodes was performed. The optimal factors were the liquid/solid ratio (24 mL/g), ethanol percentage (25%), and microwave pre-treatment time (3.88 min), with a phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and extract yield of 33.47 g GA/kg, 259.66 µmol Trolox/g, and 4.16%, respectively. The design was validated with fit percentages between 90.14% and 97.80%. The optimized extract exhibited growth inhibition against Colletotrichum gloesosporioides (85.27%), Fusarium verticillioides (58.47%), and Helminthosporium sp (77.87%). Furthermore, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, rutin, myricetin, isorhamnetin, sinapic acid, and kaempferol were identified in the extract.

The optimization of bioactive compound extraction from medicinal herbs is critical for developing functional food ingredients with substantiated health benefits. This study employed response surface methodology (RSM) and partial least squares (PLS) regression to maximize polyphenol recovery and antioxidant capacity from five medicinal herbs (Helichrysum stoechas, Chelidonium majus, Mentha pulegium, Artemisia absinthium, and Adiantum capillus-veneris). A custom experimental design assessed the effects of herb identity, extraction technique, and solvent-to-solid ratio on total polyphenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and DPPH radical scavenging activity. The PLS compromise optimum was identified for M. pulegium using 60% ethanol at 55 mL/g, yielding 37.54 ± 2.10 mg GAE/g dw TPC, 21.62 ± 1.15 mg RtE/g dw TFC, 334.38 ± 12.37 µmol AAE/g dw FRAP, and 262.67 ± 9.46 µmol AAE/g dw DPPH. HPLC-DAD profiling revealed 18 polyphenolic compounds (10.22 ± 0.34 mg/g dw), dominated by kaempferol-3-O-β-rutinoside, protocatechuic acid, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside. These compounds contribute complementary mechanisms: protocatechuic acid modulates oxidative and antioxidant pathways, kaempferol-3-O-β-rutinoside exerts cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects via VEGF-C binding, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside suppresses NF-κB-mediated inflammatory signaling. Principal component analysis (PCA) explained 84.8% of variance, clearly separating optimized from non-optimized extracts, while PLS confirmed strong correlations between specific phenolics and antioxidant indices. Overall, this integrated chemometric approach demonstrates that data-driven optimization can deliver phenolic-rich herbal extracts with robust and balanced antioxidant potential for functional food applications.

ABSTRACT Gut microbiota has been considered as a key bridge between phytochemicals and host immunity. Prevotella copri (P. copri) showed a close correlation with inflammation, and protocatechuic acid (PCA) has potential protective effects in our previous studies. To understand the underlying mechanism, a total of 108 healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire weaned piglets, aged 21 d, were randomly assigned into 3 groups, with 6 replicates and 6 piglets per replicate. The piglets were fed a basal diet, a basal diet containing 1.0 × 108 CFU/kg P. copri or 1.0 × 108 CFU/kg P. copri +400 mg/kg PCA for 28 d. Results showed that P. copri decreased the final body weight and average daily gain (ADG), while increased the feed-to-gain ratio (F/G), with increased serum levels of interleukin (IL) -2 and IL-8 in piglets (p < 0.05), and reduced the expression of intestinal tight junction protein (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of PCA increased the ADG by suppressing inflammation and enhancing intestinal integrity. In vitro experiments demonstrated that argininosuccinic acid, indole-3-aldehyde, and N-acetylputrescine are critical metabolites produced by P. copri, which initiated inflammatory responses by upregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and downregulating tight junction proteins in MODE-K cells. PCA was found to effectively attenuate these effects in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, PCA can improve the growth performance in weaned piglets by attenuating inflammation caused by P. copri and its metabolites.

Pharmacokinetic assessment of twenty compounds from Bufei Huoxue capsule in rats using HPLC-MS/MS.

Ensuring food safety and consumer health are crucial elements of sustainable food safety management, requiring the use of substances that inhibit the growth of undesirable microorganisms at various stages of production. The negative impact of many of these on human health and the environment has led to increased interest in alternative solutions, such as plant extracts. The aim of this study was to determine the biological activity of extracts obtained from Nigella sativa seeds using various methods, including Soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using hexane and methanol and supercritical CO2 extraction (SFE) assisted with methanol. The content of polyphenolic compounds, their composition, and biological activity depended on the extraction method and solvent type. All extracts exhibited antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Priestia megaterium, and Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella Enteritidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli), yeasts (Candida albicans and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa), and filamentous fungi (Alternaria brassicicola, Pythium sp., Fusarium culmorum, and F. graminearum). The MIC values were in the range of <0.125 to 2 mg/mL for bacteria and 1 to 8 mg/mL for fungi, depending on the extract. Microscopic observations performed using optical and fluorescence microscopy showed changes in the viability and morphology of the fungal cells. TPC values ranged from 9.877 mg/g in hexane extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction to 39.064 mg/g in extract obtained by Soxhlet method with methanol. No negative effects of the extracts on wheat seed germination were observed. Analysis of the composition of polyphenolic compounds revealed the presence of vanillic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, syringic acid, protocatechuic acid, and p-coumaric, catechin, and epicatechin acids in all extracts. The extracts obtained with methanol, both by the Soxhlet method and by ultrasound-assisted extraction, also contained gallic acid, myricetin, luteolin, apigenin, and sinapic acid. In all extracts, thymoquinone ranged from 8.344 mg/g to 63.125 mg/g of extract, which was detected with the highest concentration in hexane extracts.

Role of anthocyanins in protecting chondrocytes from high glucose damage through SIRT-1 and autophagy in diabetic osteoarthritis.

Sorghum anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum sublineola, severely affects leaves, stems, and panicles. This study characterizes CsMep, a zinc-dependent metalloprotease with a conserved HEXXH motif and an N-terminal signal peptide. CsMep localizes to the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus and suppresses plant programmed cell death in an HEXXH-dependent manner. This suppression was accompanied by reduced ROS accumulation and cell necrosis along with decreased electrolyte leakage in plant tissues. Deletion of CsMep impaired fungal pathogenicity, hindering hyphal growth, sporulation, and appressorium formation, while increasing sensitivity to ZnSO4 stress. Under zinc treatment, the mutant exhibited modifications in gene expression and metabolite accumulation, including the upregulation of aromatic amino acid biosynthesis along with increased levels of L-tryptophan and protocatechuic acid. These findings indicate that CsMep is crucial for adaptation to zinc stress and for achieving full virulence, thereby highlighting its significance in fungal pathogenesis and its potential as a target for disease control.

Atherosclerosis (AS), a chronic inflammatory disease linked to oxidative stress and lipid imbalance, remains a major cardiovascular threat. Traditional herbs Salvia miltiorrhiza and Carthamus tinctorius exhibit multi-target anti-AS potential, yet their compositional complexity limits clinical translation. This study aimed to systematically identify core anti-AS components from these herbs and enhance their anti-AS efficacy via machine learning-aided screening and nanotechnology-driven codelivery. We initially pioneered a machine learning-aided hybrid strategy integrating network pharmacology and quantitative activity relationship (QSAR) modeling to identify four core anti-AS polyphenols (i.e., salvianic acid A, salvianolic acid B, protocatechuic acid, and hydroxysafflor yellow A). Subsequently, a quaternary metal-phenolic network (SSPH-MPN) was engineered for plaque-targeted codelivery, optimized via the median-effect principle for achieving a synergistic effect based on ROS scavenging efficacy. The optimized SSPH-MPN was characterized by a series of studies, including molecular dynamics simulations, UV, DLS, TEM, FTIR, XPS, and ICP-MS. The anti-AS effect of the optimized SSPH-MPN was evaluated by monitoring oxidative status (ROS levels, antioxidant enzymes SOD, GSH-Px, MDA, T-AOC), inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), lipid metabolism (DiI-oxLDL uptake, cholesterol efflux, blood lipid levels, lipid accumulation), and plaque areas. The results demonstrated that the optimized SSPH-MPN showed great efficiency in inhibiting lipid uptake and accumulation, and mediating cholesterol efflux in RAW 264.7 cells, and exhibited improved lipid metabolism, attenuated oxidative stress and inflammation, thus acquired diminished plaque area in apoE-/- mice. Furthermore, biocompatibility was assessed through hemolysis, cytotoxicity assays, and in vivo safety studies, confirming its suitability as a safe therapeutic agent. In conclusion, this work not only identified four anti-AS polyphenols from traditional herbs but also established an MPN-based co-delivery system for synergistic anti-AS therapy, providing a comprehensive paradigm from drug discovery to formulation development.

ABSTRACT This study analyzed organic grape skins’ chemical and bioactive properties for food applications. The grape skins were dried (11% moisture), ground, and used to produce cookies, applying different proportions (15%, 30%, 45%, and 60%). The cookies were evaluated for sensory and nutritional properties. The formulation with 15% grape skin achieved 76.23% sensory acceptance, 7.42% fiber, and 474 Kcal/100 g. The grape skins contained 45.45% fiber, bioactive compounds (catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, caffeic acid, gallic acid, hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, and anthocyanins) with high antioxidant activity (up to 82.36% DPPH inhibition), and were non-cytotoxic to MRC-5 cells at concentrations up to 125 µg/ml. The study contributes to food security by adding value and presenting market possibilities for grape skin, previously underused, as well as adding nutritional and bioactive properties to food products, enabling the development of functional foods.

Revealing the polyphenol modulation mechanism for in vitro gastric digestion properties of myofibrillar proteins via noncovalent interaction.

Rubi Fructus (RF) is a traditional Chinese medicine that is both edible and medicinal. It is commonly used for daily health preservation by soaking in water and is also widely used in clinical treatment for kidney deficiency and frequent urination. Despite its extensive application, comprehensive pharmacokinetic studies on its multiple components are still relatively scarce. In order to systematically elucidate the invivo dynamic processes of multiple components in RF, a simple and sensitive method was established and validated for the simultaneous determination of 14 compounds (ellagic acid, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, tiliroside, rutin, gallic acid, isoquercitrin, astragalin, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, catechin, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, protocatechuic acid, quercetin, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid) in the plasma of rats by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole linear ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). The method validation confirmed excellent linearity, acceptable precision and accuracy, as well as satisfactory extraction recovery and matrix effect for 14 compounds. The pharmacokinetic parameters of nine bioactive components in RF were successfully determined in rat plasma. A high Cmax (1307.33 ng/mL) and a relatively long T1/2 (10.62 h) were exhibited by ellagic acid. The findings provide a theoretical basis for elucidating its pharmacological mechanisms and clinical applications.

Discovery of anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents from Lactuca indica L. based on its traditional uses.

Engineering the composting microbiome with a synthetic microbial community to accelerate lignocellulose degradation and humus synthesis.

Uncovering the integrated metabolic profile of honey tea wine fermented by single and mixed yeast fermentation.

Bacterial wilt, a devastating soil-borne disease affecting tobacco, is primarily caused by the pathogenic bacterium (Ralstonia solanacearum). R. solanacearum represents a substantial threat to the consistent enhancement of tobacco yield and quality. Root exudates act as chemical signals that regulate the activity of soil pathogens. The study aimed to: (1) compare the rhizosphere soil chemistry and microbial communities across tobacco varieties with different disease resistance levels at various growth stages; (2) identify metabolites involved in bacterial wilt and suggest optimal prevention timing; and (3) explain how disease-resistant varieties regulate the rhizosphere to reduce bacterial wilt transmission. Our findings revealed that the acidic rhizosphere soil of P1 (Chang Bo Huang, 100% infection rate) led to reduced nutrient availability. In P4 (Yan Yan 97, 0% infection rate) treatment led to a notable enhancement in the concentrations of available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), soil organic matter (SOM) and pH, with increases ranging from 7.57% ~ 8.67%, 7.59% ~ 30.98%, 20.48% ~ 30.99%, 7.75% ~ 23.33% and 0.41 ~ 0.47 units, respectively, when compared to the P1 treatment. Furthermore, p-coumaric acid, vanillin and protocatechuic acid increased in the rhizosphere soil of P1 at all stages. In contrast to P1, the abundance of bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere soil of P4 decreased during the rosette stage (RS), but increased during the mature stage (MS). Additionally, root exudates influenced the composition of the rhizosphere microbial community, leading to an increase in the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms (Xanthomonas) while simultaneously reducing the abundance of beneficial microorganisms (Actinomycetes, Ktedonobacteria). This study provides a theoretical basis for the future regulation of rhizosphere exudates as a preventive measure against tobacco bacterial wilt. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.