Related Antioxidant Enzyme Activities Research Articles

Anesthetic effects of eugenol on adult ridgetail white prawn (Exopalaemon carinicauda) and its protective effects under simulated transportation

Anesthesia is a common practice used to improve animal welfare and reduce the negative impacts of stress factors in aquaculture settings. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the application of anesthetics in ridgetail white prawn (Exopalaemon carinicauda). In the present study, the anesthetic efficacy and protective effects of eugenol in adults of this species were evaluated. When the prawns (n = 5) were immersed in different concentrations of eugenol in the range of 0–240 μL/L for 30 min, the results showed that 180 and 240 μL/L could lead to quick sedative and anesthesia effects with 100% mortality after 30 min exposure, while 30 μL/L failed to induce any sedative and anesthesia effects. Further tests showed that adult individuals were quickly anesthetized by eugenol at a concentration of 60–90 μL/L with a 30 min immersion, while half of the prawns were sedated in 30 μL/L eugenol after 4 h exposure, then recovered at 2 h without any mortality. Furthermore, we checked the water quality parameters after the adult prawns were immersed in four eugenol concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30 μL/L) for 8 h of simulated transportation followed by a 96 h recovery, we found that 30 μL/L eugenol treatment could significantly decrease the ammonia nitrogen concentration, and increased the survival rate at 96 h post recovery. The oxidative responses of the prawns during the 8 h transportation at 30 μL/L eugenol followed by 96 h recovery period were analyzed. The results showed that eugenol administration significantly decreased the malonaldehyde (MDA) concentration and the activities of most antioxidant-related enzymes immediately. The present data indicated that eugenol was an efficient anesthetic, which could be used for long-distance transportation of this species. It exhibited excellent protective effects to improve the animal's welfare by improving water quality and alleviating oxidative stress.

Effects of Ferulic Acid on Respiratory Metabolism, Oxidative Lesions, and Apoptotic Parameters in Gills and Red Blood Cells of Carp (Cyprinus carpio Var. Jian) Response to Copper.

In sustainable aquaculture systems, copper sulfate (CuSO4) is widely applied as a disinfectant to control parasitic infections and algal growth. However, aquatic organisms may suffer from exposure to excessive concentrations of Cu. Elevated Cu concentrations could activate damage to the respiratory functions of aquatic animals. Thus, this study explored the effects exerted by ferulic acid (FA) on respiratory metabolism, oxidation-related lesions, and the apoptosis parameters of the gills and red blood cells in copper sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O)-treated carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian). When the 30-day feeding experiment was completed, the carp were exposed to 12.5 μM of Cu for 4 days. The results indicated that the Cu decreased the oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion rates in the carp, reduced the metabolic- and antioxidant-related enzyme activities and glutathione levels in the carp, and enhanced the caspase activities and reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels in the gills of the carp. Moreover, in addition to the changes in the above parameters, the Cu decreased the cell numbers and hemoglobin concentrations and increased the phosphatidylserine exposure and cytochrome c levels in the red blood cells of the carp. These results demonstrate that Cu is capable of decreasing respiratory metabolism and increasing oxidation-related lesions and apoptosis inside the gills and red blood cells of the fish. However, dietary FA quenched the Cu-induced apoptosis and oxidative lesions by reversing the same biomarker indicators, thereby suppressing the Cu-induced decrease in respiratory metabolism. Thus, FA can be used as a suppressor of Cu stress in fish.

Evaluation of palmatine as an immunostimulant in diet for genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus)

Palmatine as a medicinal herbs extract has strong bacteriostatic ability and is a promising source of antibacterial additive. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of palmatine as an antibiotic alternative in diet for genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). Four experimental diets were formulated with 0, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg palmatine. Tilapia with consistent size (initial body weight 3.43 ± 0.02 g) were fed the test diets twice daily for ten weeks. Dietary palmatine inclusion regardless of levels unaffected the growth performance and feed efficiency (P > 0.05). However, dietary 200–800 mg/kg palmatine inclusion reduced the levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as the ratios of low-density/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and aspartate/alanine aminotransferase in serum (P < 0.05), but generally improved the antioxidant-related enzymes activities in intestine, plasma and liver, the immunoglobulin M, complement 3, and complement 4 contents and lysozyme activity in plasma, and the phagocytic activity of macrophages in head kidney. Bacterial challenge test demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 200–800 mg/kg palmatine enhanced the resistance of tilapia to Aeromonas hydrophila, and the relative percentage survival was the highest in fish fed diet with 400 mg/kg palmatine. In conclusion, dietary palmatine supplementation enhanced the antioxidant and innate immune responses as well as the resistance against A. hydrophila without compromising growth performance of tilapia, and the suitable inclusion level of palmatine was 400 mg/kg of diet for tilapia.

Lipid-Lowering and Antioxidant Effects of Self-Assembled Astaxanthin-Anthocyanin Nanoparticles on High-Fat Caenorhabditis elegans.

Obesity has become a serious global public health risk threatening millions of people. In this study, the astaxanthin-anthocyanin nanoparticles (AXT-ACN NPs) were used to investigate their effects on the lipid accumulation and antioxidative capacity of the high-sugar-diet-induced high-fat Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). It can be found that the lifespan, motility, and reproductive capacity of the high-fat C. elegans were significantly decreased compared to the normal nematodes in the control group. However, treatment of high-fat C. elegans with AXT-ACN NPs resulted in a prolonged lifespan of 35 days, improved motility, and a 22.06% increase in total spawn production of the nematodes. Furthermore, AXT-ACN NPs were found to effectively extend the lifespan of high-fat C. elegans under heat and oxidative stress conditions. Oil-red O staining results also demonstrated that AXT-ACN NPs have a remarkable effect on reducing the fat accumulation in nematodes, compared with pure astaxanthin and anthocyanin nanoparticles. Additionally, AXT-ACN NPs can significantly decrease the accumulation of lipofuscin and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The activities of antioxidant-related enzymes in nematodes were further measured, which revealed that the AXT-ACN NPs could increase the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxidase dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and decrease the malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The astaxanthin and anthocyanin in AXT-ACN NPs showed sound synergistic antioxidation and lipid-lowering effects, making them potential components in functional foods.

Anti-aging activities of neutral and acidic polysaccharides from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb in Caenorhabditis elegans

Polygonum multiflorum Thunb (PM) is used to slow the aging process. Although polysaccharides are a major constituent of PM, their anti-aging properties have not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the anti-aging effects of polysaccharides extracted from PM using the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model. Two types of water-soluble heteropolysaccharides, namely a neutral polysaccharide (RPMP-N) and an acidic polysaccharide (RPMP-A), were obtained from PM. Their structures were elucidated by various methods. The effects of these polysaccharides on the lifespan, levels of antioxidants, and activities of antioxidant-related enzymes in C. elegans were also evaluated. The results showed that RPMP-A had higher GalA content compared with RPMP-N. The average molecular weights of RPMP-N and RPMP-A were 245.30 and 28.45 kDa, respectively. RPMP-N is a α-1,4-linked dextran as the main chain, and contains a small amount of branched dextran with O-6 as the branched linkage site；RPMP-A may be a complex of α-1,4-linked dextran, HG and RG-I. Treatment with RPMP-N and RPMP-A increased the mean lifespan of C. elegans, and significantly regulated oxidative stress. RPMP-A exhibited stronger anti-aging effects compared with RPMP-N. These findings suggest that RPMP-A may be a potent antioxidant and anti-aging component that can be used for developing functional food products and effective dietary supplements.

Effects of abamectin on nonspecific immunity, antioxidation, and apoptosis in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

Abamectin, a pesticide of 16-member macrocyclic lactones, is widely applied in agriculture. As an important environmental factor, pesticides pose a great threat to defense system in aquatic animals. Procambarus clarkii is one of the most important economic aquatic animals in China. It is necessary to explore the defense mechanism of P. clarkii to abamectin. In this study, P. clarkii were exposed to 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 mg/L abamectin, immune- and antioxidant-related enzymes activities, genes expression levels, and histological observations were used to analyze the defense capacity of P. clarkii to abamectin. With increasing abamectin concentration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and malondiadehyde (MDA) content increased significantly. Meanwhiile, acid phosphate (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities, total haemocyte counts (THC), and Crustin expression level decreased significantly, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and GPX expression level also decreased significantly. Hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) observation showed that with increasing abamectin concentration, hepatopancreas were damaged, especially membrane structure. Through TUNEL observation and apoptosis-related genes (PcCTSL, Bcl-2, Bax, BI-1, PcCytc, caspase-3) expression levels, with increasing abamectin concentration, apoptosis rate increased significantly. Results of this study indicated that abamectin caused oxidative damage to P. clarkii, resulting in damage to defense system, suppression of nonspecific immunity and antioxidation, and promotion of apoptosis. It provided theoretical basis for healthy P. clarkii culture, and for further study on defense mechanism of aquatic animals to pesticides.

Transcriptomic and Physiological Analysis Reveals Genes Associated with Drought Stress Responses in Populus alba × Populus glandulosa.

Drought stress affects plant productivity by altering plant responses at the morphological, physiological, and molecular levels. In this study, we identified physiological and genetic responses in Populus alba × Populus glandulosa hybrid clones 72-30 and 72-31 after 12 days of exposure to drought treatment. After 12 days of drought treatment, glucose, fructose, and sucrose levels were significantly increased in clone 72-30 under drought stress. The Fv/Fo and Fv/Fm values in both clones also decreased under drought stress. The changes in proline, malondialdehyde, and H2O2 levels were significant and more pronounced in clone 72-30 than in clone 72-31. The activities of antioxidant-related enzymes, such as catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, were significantly higher in the 72-31 clone. To identify drought-related genes, we conducted a transcriptomic analysis in P. alba × P. glandulosa leaves exposed to drought stress. We found 883 up-regulated and 305 down-regulated genes in the 72-30 clone and 279 and 303 in the 72-31 clone, respectively. These differentially expressed genes were mainly in synthetic pathways related to proline, abscisic acid, and antioxidants. Overall, clone 72-31 showed better drought tolerance than clone 72-30 under drought stress, and genetic changes also showed different patterns.

Dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) Extract Alleviated H2O2-Induced Oxidative Damage: The Underlying Mechanism Revealed by Metabolomics and Lipidomics.

Dandelion has received wide attention in food and medicine fields due to its excellent antioxidant properties. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism of this action has not yet been fully clarified, particularly at the metabolic level. Herein, the effects of dandelion extract (DE) on H2O2-induced oxidative damage was investigated. The results indicate that the DE alleviated H2O2-induced cell damage (increased by 14.5% compared to H2O2 group), reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level (decreased by 80.1% compared to H2O2 group), maintained the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) level, and increased antioxidant-related enzyme activities. Importantly, the metabolic response of PC12 cells indicates that H2O2 disturbed phospholipid metabolism and damaged cell membrane integrity. In addition, energy metabolism, the central nervous system, and the antioxidant-related metabolism pathway were perturbed. In contrast, DE rescued the H2O2-induced metabolic disorder and further alleviated oxidative damage. Collectively, these findings provide valuable stepping stones for a discussion of the mechanism and show the promise of DE as a suitable additive for functional food products.

Sparassis latifolia Polysaccharide Attenuates Cholesterol in Rats Maintained on a High-Fat, High-Cholesterol Diet

Sparassis latifolia polysaccharide (SLP) has broad application prospects as a raw material of functional food. This study aimed to investigate the effects of SLP on liver cholesterol metabolism and its mechanism. Sprague–Dawley rats were fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, and various assessments were conducted including hematoxylin and eosin staining, measurement of liver and metabolic indices, and antioxidant analysis. In addition, fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze mRNA expression, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed for screening differential metabolites. The results demonstrated that SLP reduced the abnormal increase in the liver index caused by high fat and cholesterol and improved liver tissue morphology, metabolism level, and antioxidant-related enzyme activities. The polysaccharide regulated the liver sterol metabolism pathway, decreased the mRNA expression levels of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoAR) and sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (SOAT1), upregulated the mRNA expression levels of cholesterol 7α hydroxylase (CYP7α-1) and ABCA1, and increased the contents of propionic acid and butyric acid in the liver. These findings indicated a novel pathway through which SLP prevented hepatic lipid deposition and ameliorated sterol metabolism via regulating the HMG-CoAR-CYP7α-1 axis.

Transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal the molecular and metabolic adaptation to heat stress in Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum

Temperature is an important environmental factor affecting metabolism, growth and life activities of marine bivalves. To reveal the molecular and metabolic responses to heat stress, comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics were performed in the commercially important bivalve, Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. Comparative transcriptomics revealed a total of 3980 differential genes (DEGs) mainly involved in energy metabolism, protein processing, glycerolphospholipid metabolism, inoxidizability and anti-apoptosis. Comparative metabolomic analysis identified 293 differential metabolites (DEMs) in the heat-stressed clams, including Acetyl-CoA, Beta-D-Glucose, phosphatidylcholine and free amino acids. For the heat-stress clams, they showed the significantly increased enzyme activities of AKP and ACP, as well as antioxidant-related enzyme activities (SOD and CAT) and oxidative damage substance (MDA). The changes in gene expression of glycolysis-related genes (GLUT1, GLK, HK1 and GPI6) and metabolites (Beta-D-Glucose and Acetyl-CoA) reflect the adjusted energy metabolism in the heat-stressed clams. The protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum may play the important roles in the stability of cell membrane structure during heat adaptation. The increased contents of glycerophospholipid (PC) may be essential to maintain the stability and permeability of cell membrane in the heat-stressed clams. Molecular chaperones (HSP70 and HSP90) may participate in the degradation of misfolded proteins to maintain cell homeostasis during the heat stress. To defense the heat stress, clams also initiate the protection and defense mechanisms by activating antioxidant system, innate immune system and anti-apoptotic system. These findings will shed new lights on molecular and metabolic adaptation to heat stress in the intertidal mollusks in a warming climate at the global scale.

Bacillus coagulans (Weizmannia coagulans) XY2 attenuates Cu-induced oxidative stress via DAF-16/FoxO and SKN-1/Nrf2 pathways and gut microbiota regulation

Copper (Cu) pollution has become a serious environmental problem especially in recent decades. In this study, the mechanisms of Bacillus coagulans (Weizmannia coagulans) XY2 against Cu-induced oxidative stress were explored through a dual model. In mice, Cu disturbed microbial community structure, revealing an increased level of Enterorhabdus abundance and decreased levels of Intestinimonas, Faecalibaculu, Ruminococcaceae and Coriobacteriaceae_UCG-002 abundance. Meanwhile, B. coagulans (W. coagulans) XY2 intervention reversed this trend along with alleviated Cu-induced metabolic disturbances by increasing levels of hypotaurine and L-glutamate and declining levels of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. In Caenorhabditis elegans, nuclear translocation of DAF-16 and SKN-1 was inhibited by Cu, which in turn suppressed antioxidant-related enzymes activities. XY2 mitigated biotoxicity associated with oxidative damage caused by Cu exposure via regulating DAF-16/FoxO and SKN-1/Nrf2 pathways and intestinal flora to eliminate excess ROS. Our study provides a theoretical basis formulating future strategy of probiotics against heavy metal contamination.

The Effect of Guisangyou Tea on Abnormal Lipid Metabolism in Mice Induced by High-Fat Diet.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of Guisangyou tea (GSY tea) in improving abnormal lipid metabolism in mice with obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). The results showed that intervention of the water extract of GSY tea (WE) decreased serum levels of lipids, and positively regulated the related antioxidant enzyme activities and the inflammatory factors in the serum and liver. In the liver, the mRNA and protein expression levels of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins-1 (SREBP-1), stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD-1), fatty acid synthase (FASN), and acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) related to lipid synthesis were downregulated, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and small heterodimer partner (SHP) related to bile acid production were upregulated. The results demonstrate that GSY tea can improve abnormal lipid metabolism in obese mice by improving the body's antioxidant capacity, regulating the inflammatory state, and reducing the synthesis of lipids and increasing the production of bile acids. GSY tea can be processed and utilized as a safe and effective resource for improving abnormal lipid metabolism.

Amelioration of Salt-Induced Damage on Paeonia ostii ‘Fengdan’ by Exogenous Application of Silicon

To investigate the amelioration of salt-induced damage on Paeonia ostii ‘Fengdan’ by exogenous silicon, we analyzed the photosynthetic and physiological characteristics of 1.5-year-old ‘Fengdan’ seedlings under NaCl stress by applying exogenous silicon (0, 0.75, and 1.5 mmol/L). Our results showed that the contents of the photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotene, the transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO2 were significantly enhanced under salt stress when silicon treatment was applied, implying that the net photosynthetic rate was greatly improved. In addition, the plant height, stem thickness, and above-ground dry biomass of tree peony seedlings were effectively increased under salt stress with low-concentration silicon (0.75 mmol/L) treatment, along with osmotic substance (SS, SP, and Pro) content, total polyamine (TP) contents, and the activities of antioxidant-related enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) and polyamine-related synthetases (ADC, ODC, and SAMDC). In the low-concentration silicon treatment, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide anions (O2−) were transformed quickly, which eventually reduced cell oxidative damage and improved seedling tolerance. This is an important finding in the understanding of how exogenous low-concentration silicon can alleviate salt-induced damage and promote the growth of tree peony seedlings, thus providing a new perspective on tree peony cultivation.

The role of AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 from Apis cerana cerana in development and response to pesticide and heavy metal toxicity

Apis cerana cerana is a native bee species in China and plays a key role in agricultural production and ecological balance. However, the growth and development of Apis cerana cerana has not been smooth, and pesticide and heavy metal stress are key factors that have forced a dramatic decline in population size. This study was performed with the objective of investigating the role of AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 in honey bee resistance to pesticide and heavy metal stress. RT–qPCR analysis revealed that AccCDK20 transcript levels were highest in brown-eyed pupae and AccCDKN1 transcript levels were highest in 1-day-old worker bees. In different tissues and body parts of adult bees, AccCDK20 transcript levels were highest in the head, and AccCDKN1 transcript levels were highest in the thorax. It was further observed that environmental stress can affect the transcript levels of the AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 genes. Silencing of the AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 genes resulted in altered activities of antioxidant-related genes and antioxidant-related enzymes. AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 transcript levels were upregulated under glyphosate stress, and silencing of the genes resulted in reduced resistance to glyphosate and greatly increased mortality in Apis cerana cerana. In addition, gene function was verified by in vitro repression assays. Overexpression of the AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 proteins in E. coli cells increased the resistance to ROS damage induced by CHP. In conclusion, AccCDK20 and AccCDKN1 play an indispensable role in honey bee resistance to pesticide and heavy metal stress.

Impact of Titanium Dioxide-Graphene Oxide (TiO2-GO) Composite Nanoparticle on the Juveniles of the Giant River Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii: Physio-Biochemistry and Transcriptional Response

Nanomaterials are used in many fields, resulting in inevitably releasing into the aquatic environment. The presence of nanomaterials, including TiO2-GO in the aquatic environment, can be toxic to aquatic organisms. However, few studies have focused on the effects of TiO2-GO composite nanoparticle on crustaceans. In the present study, the giant river prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii juveniles were exposed to two concentrations of TiO2-GO composite nanoparticle (0.1 and 0.5mg/L). The effects of TiO2-GO composite exposure on activities of digestive and antioxidant-related enzymes and expressions of growth and immune-related genes at the transcriptome were studied. The results showed that the survival rate and growth performance were not negatively affected by TiO2-GO composite at the two exposure levels. Nevertheless, exposure to TiO2-GO composite causes an effect on the activities of digestive and antioxidant enzymes in the juvenile prawns. The enzyme activities of CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, AMS, TPS, and LPS in the 0.1mg/L TiO2-GO composite experimental group were markedly reduced than those in the control group. Additionally, the expression level of genes involved in growth and immunity was significantly affected by TiO2-GO composite. After exposure to the 0.1mg/L TiO2-GO composite, the mRNA expression level of MSTN was significantly increased, but the level of EcR, Raptor, and CaBP was significantly decreased. However, the mRNA levels of the CTL, TLR, JAK, and STAT were significantly increased after exposure to the 0.5mg/L concentration of TiO2-GO composite. Furthermore, to understand the molecular mechanism of M. rosenbergii under TiO2-GO composite exposure, RNA-Seq was employed to analyze the changes of the muscle and hepatopancreas transcriptome. Compared with the control group, we identified 5166 and 4784 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the muscle and hepatopancreas, respectively (p < 0.05). Based on gene ontology and KEGG analysis, significant differences were observed in the DEGs involved in activity and binding, metabolism, immune response, and environmental information processing. These results showed that exposure to TiO2-GO composite nanoparticle led to the changes of enzyme activity and gene expression, suggesting that TiO2-GO composite existing in aquatic environments would disrupt the physiology of M. rosenbergii. This study will serve as a foundation for subsequent research into the evaluation of nanomaterial toxicity on crustacean species.

Effects of titanium dioxide (TiO2)/activated carbon (AC) nanoparticle on the growth and immunity of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii: potential toxicological risks to the aquatic crustaceans.

Due to their unique physicochemical characteristics, nanomaterials exhibit many excellent properties and functions, leading to their applications in numerous fields. The large-scale production and widespread application of nanomaterials have inevitably resulted in their release into the environment, especially the water environment. Several studies have confirmed that exposure to nanomaterials can be toxic to aquatic organisms. However, few studies have focused on the effects of nanomaterial exposure on growth and immunity in crustaceans. In the present study, juvenile Macrobrachium rosenbergii were exposed to different concentrations of titanium dioxide (TiO2)/activated carbon (AC) composite nanomaterial (0.1 and 0.5mg/L) for 45days. The effects of nanoparticle exposure on digestion and antioxidant-related enzyme activities, as well as the expression of growth and immunity-related genes and signaling pathway, were evaluated. Our results show that in response to low concentration of TiO2/AC nanoparticle (0.1mg/L), most of the enzyme activities related to digestion and antioxidation (TPS, LPS, AMS, SOD, and CAT) were diminished. On the contrary, the GSH-Px activity increased under the 0.1mg/L group of TiO2/AC nanoparticle concentration. Additionally, the level of digestive and antioxidant enzyme activities we detected was increased when exposed to 0.5mg/L TiO2/AC nanoparticle. By comparison to the expression level of growth-related genes in the control group, MSTN, CaBP, E75, Raptor, EcR, and EGF were significantly inhibited at 0.1 and 0.5mg/L concentrations of TiO2/AC nanoparticle, whereas the expression level of genes (TLR, JAK, STAT, PPAF, ACP, and AKP) related to immunity was increased when exposed to different concentrations of TiO2/AC nanoparticle. Compared with the control group (0mg/L concentration), 5166 DEGs were identified in the TiO2/AC nanoparticle group, and a large number of DEGs were involved in molting, energy metabolism, stress tolerance, and germ cell development. Moreover, KEGG analysis revealed that many DEGs were assigned into signaling pathways related to metabolic growth and immune stress. These results showed that exposure to TiO2/AC nanoparticle will result in the changes of enzyme activity and routine mRNA expression, suggesting that TiO2/AC nanoparticle which existed in aquatic environment might affect the physiology of M. rosenbergii. This study will provide significant information for the evaluation of nanomaterial toxicity on aquatic crustaceans.

Funneliformis constrictum modulates polyamine metabolism to enhance tolerance of Zea mays L. to salinity

The mechanisms underlie increased stress tolerance in plants of salinity stress in plants by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are poorly understood, particularly the role of polyamine metabolism. The current study was conducted to investigate how inoculation with the AMF, Funneliformis constrictum, affects maize plant tolerance to salt stress. To this end, we investigated the changes in photosynthesis, redox status, primary metabolites (amino acids) and secondary metabolism (phenolic and polyamine metabolism). Control and inoculated maize plants were grown using different concentrations of diluted seawater (0%, 10%, 20% and 40%). Results revealed that treatment with 10% seawater had a beneficial effect on AMF and its host growth. However, irrigation with 20% and 40% significantly reduced plant growth and biomass. As seawater concentration increased, the plants' reliance on mycorrhizal fungi increased resulting in enhanced growth and photosynthetic pigments contents. Under higher seawater concentrations, inoculation with AMF reduced salinity induced oxidative stress and supported redox homeostasis by reducing H2O2 and MDA levels as well as increasing antioxidant-related enzymes activities (e.g., CAT, SOD, APX, GPX, POX, GR, and GSH). AMF inoculation increased amino acid contents in shoots and roots under control and stress conditions. Amino acids availability provides a route for polyamines biosynthesis, where AMF increased polyamines contents (Put, Spd, Spm, total Pas) and their metabolic enzymes associated (ADC, SAMDC, Spd synthase, and Spm synthase), particularly under 40% seawater irrigation. Consistently, the transcription of genes, involved in polyamine metabolism was also up regulated in salinity-stressed plants. AMF further increased the expression in genes involved in polyamine biosynthesis (ODC, SAMDC, SPDS2 and decreased expression of those in catabolic biosynthesis (ADC and PAO). Overall, inoculation with Funneliformis constrictum could be adopted as a practical strategy to alleviate salinity stress.

Development of Functional Kiwifruit Jelly with chenpi (FKJ) by 3D Food Printing Technology and Its Anti-Obesity and Antioxidant Potentials.

With the growing popularity of the concept of healthy diet, modern obesity treatment is gradually shifting from surgical or pharmacological treatment to nutritional intervention. As a safe and effective measure, natural product interventions are a potential strategy of obesity management. The present study aimed to develop a kind of functional food rich in bioactive compounds (chenpi, kiwifruit, and pectin as raw materials) and investigate their bioactive effects on a mouse model. For development of functional kiwifruit jelly with chenpi (FKJ), the results of single-factor and response surface experiments showed that the optimized formulation was composed of a 30.26% addition of chenpi, 35% addition of kiwifruit juice, and 2.88% addition of pectin. The FKJ obtained with the optimal formulation could be used as a 3D printing raw material to print the desired food shapes successfully. For bioactivity evaluation of FKJ, the results with a mouse model showed that the food intake, liver weight, and adipose tissue weight were significantly decreased after administration of FKJ with dose-dependent effect compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the serum levels of several inflammatory factors (TG, IL-6, and TNF-α) were decreased and the activities of several antioxidant-related enzymes (SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT) were increased. In short, a functional kiwifruit jelly with chenpi was developed in this study. It is a functional snack food rich in active phenolic compounds, low in calories, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, and prevents fat accumulation. FKJ could well meet the needs of modern people for nutrition and health and also promote the processing and utilization of natural products, and has good development prospects in the functional food industry.

Proteomics Analysis of Zygosaccharomyces mellis in Response to Sugar Stress

The high-osmotic-pressure environment of honey is not suitable for the survival of microorganisms, except for osmotic-tolerant fungal and bacterial spores. In this study, shotgun metagenomic sequencing technology was used to identify yeast species present in honey samples. As a result, Zygosaccharomyces spp. yeast, including Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Z. mellis and Z. siamensis, were isolated. The intracellular trehalose and glycerin concentrations of yeast, as well as the antioxidant-related CAT, SOD and POD enzyme activities, increased under a high-glucose environment (60%, w/v). To learn more about the osmotic resistance of Z. mellis, iTRAQ-based proteomic technology was used to investigate the related molecular mechanism at the protein level, yielding 522 differentially expressed proteins, of which 303 (58.05%) were upregulated and 219 (41.95%) were downregulated. The iTRAQ data showed that the proteins involved in the pathway of the cell membrane and cell-wall synthesis, as well as those related to trehalose and glycerin degradation, were all downregulated, while the proteins in the respiratory chain and TCA cycle were upregulated. In addition, formate dehydrogenase 1 (FDH1), which is involved in NADH generation, displayed a great difference in response to a high-sugar environment. Furthermore, the engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains BY4741△scFDH1 with a knocked-out FDH1 gene were constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9 method. In addition, the FDH1 from Z. mellis was expressed in BY4741△scFDH1 to construct the mutant strain BY4717zmFDH1. The CAT, SOD and POD enzyme activities, as well as the content of trehalose, glycerin, ATP and NADH, were decreased in BY4741△scFDH1. However, those were all increased in BY4717zmFDH1. This study revealed that Z. mellis could increase the contents of trehalose and glycerin and promote energy metabolism to improve hypertonic tolerance. In addition, FDH1 had a significant effect on yeast hypertonic tolerance.

The Effects of Bisphenol A on Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Defence, Histopathological Alterations and Lysozyme Activity in Narrow-Clawed Crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus)

This study aimed to investigate of bisphenol A (BPA) on histopathological tissue (hepatopancreas and gills), immune ability (lysozyme activity), oxidative stress and antioxidant defence in crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus). Crayfish were exposed to BPA to various concentrations (0 (control), and 10, 50, 100 μg/L) for 5 and 20 days in triplicates. Histopathological findings showed moderate to severe hyperemia and inflammatory cell infiltrations, irregular epithelial cell arrangements, degeneration, necrosis and sloughing at the cells, collapse of the hepatopancreas tubules and hyperemia, oedema and sloughing at the epithelial cells of gills. In addition to swelling of gills, accumulation of hemocytes in the hemocoelic space of the gill lamellae relating to dosage were noticed. Antioxidant-related enzyme activities which superoxide dismutase (SOD), Glutathione-S-transferase GST, and glutathione reductase (GR) activity in 10, 50, 100 μg/L BPA group were significantly lower than control at 5 days (p&lt;0.05). Lysozyme activity (LSZ) was no significantly enhanced according to control (p&gt;0.05). These results suggest that the alterations in the antioxidant enzymes and the histological structure of the hepatopancreas, and gill tissue of crayfish can be used as potential biomarkers for risk assessment in aquatic ecosystem.