HPLC Results Research Articles

Cichorium pumilum Jacq Extract Inhibits LPS-Induced Inflammation via MAPK Signaling Pathway and Protects Rats From Hepatic Fibrosis Caused by Abnormalities in the Gut-Liver Axis.

The development of liver fibrosis is closely related to the gut microbiota, and the “gut-liver axis” is the most important connection between the two. ethyl acetate extract of Cichorium pumilum Jacq (CGEA) is an herbal extract consisting mainly of sesquiterpenoids. The anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects of CGEA have been reported, but the anti-fibrotic effects of CGEA via intestinal microbes and the “gut-liver axis” cycle have rarely been reported. In this study, we observed that CGEA not only directly attenuated inflammatory factor levels in inflamed mice, but also attenuated liver inflammation as well as liver fibrosis degeneration in rats with liver fibrosis caused by colitis. We observed in vitro that CGEA significantly promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium adolescentis. Similarly, fecal 16S rDNA sequencing of liver fibrosis rats showed that CGEA intervention significantly altered the composition of the intestinal microbiota of liver fibrosis rats. CGEA increased the abundance of intestinal microbiota, specifically, CGEA increased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, CGEA could significantly increase the levels of Ruminococcus. In addition, CGEA intervention significantly protected intestinal mucosal tissues and improved intestinal barrier function in rats. Lactucin is the main sesquiterpenoid in CGEA, and HPLC results showed its content in CGEA was up to 6%. Lactucin has been reported to have significant anti-inflammatory activity, and in this study, we found that Lactucin decreased p38 kinases (p38), phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and protein kinase B (AKT) protein phosphorylation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells, thereby reducing mRNA expression and protein expression of pro-inflammatory factors inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-6 and nitric oxide (NO), exerting anti-inflammatory effects. In summary, the prevention of liver fibrosis caused by intestinal inflammation by CGEA may be achieved by regulating the intestinal microbiota and restoring the intestinal barrier thereby improving the “gut-liver axis” circulation, reducing liver inflammation, and ultimately alleviating liver fibrosis. Notably, the direct anti-inflammatory effect of CGEA may be due to its content of Lactucin, which can exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Akt signaling pathways.

Purification and Structural Characterization of Dendrobium officinale Polysaccharides and Its Activities.

In this study, Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (named DOPS-1) was isolated from the stems of Dendrobium officinale by hot-water extraction and purified by using Sephadex G-150 column chromatography. The structural characterization, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity were carried out. Based on the results of HPLC, GC, Congo red experiment, together with periodate oxidation, Smith degradation, SEM, FT-IR, and NMR spectral analysis, it expressed that DOPS-1 was largely composed of mannose, glucose and galacturonic acid in a molar ratio of 3.2 : 1.3 : 1. The molecular weight of DOPS-1 was 1530 kDa and the main chain was composed of (1→4)-β-D-Glcp, (1→4)-β-D-Manp and 2-O-acetyl-(1→4)-β-D-Manp. The measurement results of antioxidant activity showed that DOPS-1 had the strong scavenging activities on hydroxyl radicals, DPPH radicals and superoxide radicals and the high reducing ability in vitro. Moreover, DOPS-1 was cytotoxic to all three human cancer cells of MDA-MB-231, A549 and HepG2.

An investigation on the dose-dependent effect of iron shaving on bio-hydrogen production from food waste

Bio-hydrogen production is of significant interest as it is capable of consuming waste material and synthesizing hydrogen which is a green gas. In this study, we examined the dose-dependent effect of iron shaving on bio-hydrogen production from an integrated dark and photo fermentation system from an artificial food waste. Overall, introduction of iron shaving enhanced the bio-gas production. Statistical analysis was performed on the extracted parameters obtained from fitting the experimental data to Gompertz function, revealing that the bio-gas production can be significantly enhanced by addition of iron shaving at concentrations up to 500 mg/L, with a maximum enhancement at 200 mg/mL. GC analysis showed that introduction of iron shaving at 200 mg/L also maximized the hydrogen percentage in the produced bio-gas. Based on the HPLC results, it was postulated that the dark-fermentation step was probably the step that was more affected by the introduction of iron shaving. Investigation of the pH showed that the acidification of the solution approximately coincided with the termination of the process. Our finding suggests that a more efficient buffer-assisted setup can significantly enhance the bio-hydrogen efficiency.

Restitution of epithelial cells during intestinal mucosal wound healing: The effect of a polysaccharide from the sclerotium of Lignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden

Ethnopharmacological relevanceLignosus rhinocerotis (Cooke) Ryvarden cultivar TM02, also known as tiger's milk mushroom, is regarded as important folk medicine in Malaysia, while is used for the treatment of liver cancer, chronic hepatitis, gastric ulcer in traditional Chinese medicine. However, there is no compilation of scientific evidence that its protection for gastric, and no attempts have been made to understand how polysaccharides in Lignosus rhinocerotis might promote intestinal mucosal wound healing.Aim of the study: This study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of β-glucan prepared from L. rhinocerotis using an enzymatic method on epithelial restitution during intestinal mucosal damage. Materials and methodsBased on FT-IR, MALDI-TOF-MS, HPSEC-MALLS-RID, and AFM, the structure of polysaccharides from L. rhinocerotis was analysed. In addition, polysaccharides were used to test for wound healing activity in IEC-6 cells by measuring cell migration, proliferation, and expression of cell division control protein 42, Rac-1, RhoA, and Par-3. Resultsβ-glucan was extracted using enzyme-assisted extraction, and a yield of approximately 8.5 ± 0.8% was obtained from the dried biomass. The β-glucan extracted by enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) of polysaccharides was composed entirely of D-glucose with a total carbohydrate content of 95.5 ± 3.2%. The results of HPLC, FTIR, and MALDI-TOF-MS analyses revealed EAEP to be confirmed as β-glucan. The molecular weight of prepared β-glucan was found to be 5.315 × 104 g/mol by HPSEC-MALLS-RID. Furthermore, mucosal wound healing studies showed that the treatment of IEC-6 with a β-glucan concentration of 200 μg/mL promoted cell migration and proliferation, and it enhanced the protein expression of cell division control protein 42, Rac-1, RhoA, and Par-3. ConclusionsThe present study reveals that the prepared β-glucan accelerates intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and migration via activation of Rho-dependent pathway. Hence, β-glucan can be employed as a prospective therapeutic agent for the treatment of diseases associated with gastrointestinal mucosal damage, such as peptic ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease.

Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of a trehalose synthase from Myxococcus sp. strain V11

The tresI gene of Myxococcus sp. strain V11 was cloned, and found to encode a trehalose synthase comprising 551 amino acids. The deduced molecular weight of the encoded TreS I protein 64.7 kDa and the isoelectric point (pI) was predicted to be 5.6. The catalytic cleft consists of the Asp202-Glu244-Asp310 catalytic triad and additional conserved residues. The recombinant (His)6-tag enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and purified by Ni2+-affinity chromatography, resulting in a specific activity of up to 172.7 U/mg. TLC and HPLC results confirmed that rTreS I can convert maltose into trehalose, with a yield of 61%. The KM and Vmax values of recombinant TreS I for maltose were 0.62 mM and 25.5 mM min−1 mg−1 protein, respectively. TreS I was optimally active at 35° and stable at temperatures of <25 °C. TreS I was stable within a narrow range of pH values, from 6.0 to 7.0. The enzymatic activity was slightly stimulated by Mg2+ and strongly inhibited by Fe3+, Co2+ and Cu2+. TreS I was also strongly inhibited by SDS and weakly by EDTA and TritonX-100.

Lotus leaf flavonoids induce apoptosis of human lung cancer A549 cells through the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway

Background Leaves of the natural plant lotus are used in traditional Chinese medicine and tea production. They are rich in flavonoids.MethodsIn this study, lotus leaf flavonoids (LLF) were applied to human lung cancer A549 cells and human small cell lung cancer cells H446 in vitro to verify the effect of LLF on apoptosis in these cells through the ROS/p38 MAPK pathway.ResultsLLF had no toxic effect on normal cells at concentrations up to 500 µg/mL, but could significantly inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells and H446 cells. Flow cytometry showed that LLF could induce growth in A549 cells. We also found that LLF could increase ROS and MDA levels, and decrease SOD activity in A549 cells. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and western blot analyses showed that LLF could upregulate the expression of p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), caspase-3, caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 and Bax and downregulate the expression of Cu/Zn SOD, CAT, Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and Bcl-2 in A549 cells. Results of HPLC showed that LLF mainly contain five active substances: kaempferitrin, hyperoside, astragalin, phloridzin, and quercetin. The apoptosis-inducing effect of LLF on A549 cells came from these naturally active compounds.ConclusionsWe have shown in this study that LLF is a bioactive substance that can induce apoptosis in A549 cells in vitro, and merits further research and development.

Simultaneous removal of sulfamethoxazole and enhanced denitrification process from simulated municipal wastewater by a novel 3D-BER system

In this study, at an electric current intensity at 60mA, more than 90.50 ± 4.76% of Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was degraded. The strengthening of bacterial metabolisms and the sustainment of electrical stimulation contributed to the rapid removal of SMX and nitrates from simulated wastewater by a novel 3D-BER system. From the literature, very few studies have been performed to investigate the high risk of nitrates and antibiotics SMX found in wastewater treatment. The highest antibiotic SMX and nitrogen removal efficiency was 96.45 ± 2.4% (nitrate-N), 99.5 ± 1.5% (nitrite-N), 88.45 ± 1.4% (ammonia-N), 78.6 ± 1.0% (total nitrogen), and SMX (90.50 ± 4.76%), respectively. These results were significantly higher as compared to control system (p< 0.05). The highest denitrification efficiency was achieved at the pH level of 7.0 ± 0.20 - 7.5 ± 0.31. Lower or higher pH value can effect on an approach of heterotrophic-autotrophic denitrification. Moreover, low current intensity did not show any significant effect on the degradation, however, enhanced the removal rate of nitrate or nitrite as well as antibiotic SMX. Based on the results of HPLC and LC-MS/MS analysis, the intermediate products were proposed after efficient biodegradation of SMX. Finally, these results is expected to provide some new insights towards the high electric currents, changes the bacterial community structure, and the activated sludge which played an important role in the biodegradation of SMX and nitrates removal more efficiently.

Development and validation of a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for clonidine hydrochloride in pig urine and pork samples

ABSTRACTClonidine hydrochloride (CLO) is a new substitute for a traditionally used adrenergic agonist. The illegal use of CLO in the livestock industry possess potential harm to human health. Hence, it is an urgent need for the rapid detection of CLO residues. Here, we prepared a highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) and it used to develop an indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) for the rapid screening of CLO residues. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values of ic-ELISA were as follows: 0.033 and 0.054 ng/mL for pig urine and 0.061 and 0.096 ng/mL for pork, respectively. Recovery experiment indicated that the ic-ELISA posed outstanding accuracy and precision. Furthermore, the results of ic-ELISA were strongly correlated to the results of HPLC. Thus, the ic-ELISA provided a sensitive and rapid on-site detection of CLO residues in pig urine and pork samples.

HPLC and spectrophotometry methods for measuring melamine migration from melamine dishes to food simulants

Melamine is an organic-based chemical usually found as enriched white nitrogen crystals. Since melamine is used for manufacturing food dishes and containers, there are concerns about melamine migration from the dishes into foods and subsequently the human body, particularly in children.As there are no routine techniques to measure melamine migration in food quality control laboratories in Iran, we here aimed to validate HPLC and spectrophotometry methods to measure migration of this substance. The HPLC and spectrophotometry techniques were adopted and validated. The level of melamine migration was measured in melamine ware of five brands in Iran market. Distilled water and acetic acid 3% were used as simulants. The dishes were in contact with the simulants for 90 min at 90 °C.The accuracy and precision were obtained as 94.9 and 95.3% for HPLC and 95.3% and 96.2% for spectrophotometry, respectively. Furthermore, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were obtained as 145 and 435 ng/ml for HPLC, and 200 and 605 ng/ml for spectrophotometry, respectively. Our results indicated that HPLC can be a reliable method to measure low-level melamine. The spectrophotometry could also be applied as a feasible, accurate, and cost-effective method for measuring melamine in foodstuffs.•This research has tried to adopt a method to measure melamine migration in the regions where there are no routine techniques to measure melamine migration the same as Iranian food laboratories.•The validation results of HPLC and spectrophotometry methods showed 94.9% accuracy and 95.3% precision and 95.3 and 96.2% for spectrophotometry respectively which were reliable.•HPLC can be a reliable method to measure low-level melamine. The spectrophotometry could also be applied as a feasible, accurate, and cost-effective method for measuring melamine in foodstuffs.

Extraction, Purification and Characterization of Lycopene from Tomato (Cv Vijeta) Processing Industry Waste

Aim: The present study focused on extraction of lycopene from tomato processing industry waste, its purification and characterization by different methods. Lycopene is major carotenoid found in tomato.&#x0D; Methodology: Different tomato parts like whole tomato, tomato peel and waste generated druing processing were also screened for lycopene content. The extracted lycopene was purified by crystallization method. The purified lycopene was characterized by the different methods live UV- spectroscopy, HPLC, FT-IR and NMR.&#x0D; Results: Among the different parts of tomato the peel (377.19±1.13 µg/g) contain highest amount of lycopene than industrial waste (175.15±1.09 µg/g) and whole tomato (82.82±0.79). The crystallization method significantly purify the lycopene content which was clearly resulted in UV-spectroscopy, HPLC, FT-IR and NMR results.&#x0D; Conclusion: This will be beneficial to the industry for purification and characterization of lycopene from tomato processing industry waste.

Tunisian Olea europaea L. leaf extract suppresses Freund's complete adjuvant-induced rheumatoid arthritis and lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses

Ethnopharmacological relevanceOlea europaea L. (olive) is traditionally used as a folk remedy and functional food in Europe and Mediterranean countries to treat inflammatory diseases. O. europaea contains phenolic compounds and have been reported to prevent cartilage degradation. However, the function and mechanism of O. europaea in rheumatoid arthritis are not known.Aim of the study: In this study, we aimed to examine anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic effects of Tunisian O. europaea L. leaf ethanol extract (Oe-EE). Materials and methodsTo do this, we employed an in vitro macrophage-like cell line and an in vivo Freund's complete adjuvant (AIA)-induced arthritis model. Levels of inflammatory genes and mediators were determined from in vivo samples. ResultsThe Oe-EE clearly reduced the production of the lipopolysaccharide-mediated inflammatory mediators, nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), in RAW264.7 cells. The results of HPLC showed that Oe-EE contained many active compounds such as oleuropein and flavonoids. In AIA-treated rats, swelling of paws, pain, and cartilage degeneration were alleviated by oral Oe-EE administration. Correlating with in vitro data, PGE2 production was significantly reduced in paw samples. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism of Oe-EE was dissected, and Oe-EE regulated the gene expression of interleukin (IL)-6, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and MMPs and inflammatory signaling activation. ConclusionConsequently, Oe-EE possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic effects and is a potential effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Analysis of Total Terpenoids from Maniltoa Grandiflora (A. Gray) Scheff Leaves Using TLC and HPLC Methods

Terpenoids screening were carried out using Liebermann Burchard and Salkowski reagent on the extract of Saputangan leaves. It showed that the leaves contained terpenoid compounds with appeared of a reddish brown ring in the extract and a reddish brown stain appeared on the TLC plate tested with 1% CeSO4 reagent in 10% H2SO4. The macerate of saputangan leaves processed separation using the partition method (Liquid-liquid Extraction). Extracts dissolved with methanol were partitioned with n-Hexane and then partitioned between aquadest and ethyl acetate in a ratio of 1: 1 to obtain 50 g of total terpenoids. Furthermore, TLC analysis was performed on total terpenoids using n-hexane: ethyl acetate (80:20 v/v) solvent to obtain 11 separate stains on the TLC plate with different Rf each. Analysis was enhanced in HPLC using 100% acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acid at a wavelength of 210 nm, a flow rate of 0.500 mL/min and eluted for 30 minutes. Based on the HPLC results, there were 25 peaks which indicated the presence of total terpenoid compounds with the highest peak being peak no. 8 (ret.time's 6.234, area's 8503532 and height's 276032), peak no. 9 (ret.time's 6.674, area's 3322572 and height's 141859) and peak no. 10 (ret.time's 7.288, area's 2758231 and height's 103927)

Disease vulnerability and PAH biomonitoring in urban population exposed to air-borne particulate matter

This study was conducted in urban area of Rawalpindi city with an aim to analyze population exposure to particulate matter (PM) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in relation to their vulnerability for diseases. Biomonitoring study using serum naphthalene, pyrene and urinary 1-hydroxyprene was also conducted to quantify PAH exposure. The health risks based on self-reported health status was also noted using a questionnaire. Results of HPLC based serum analysis showed that mean concentration of blood naphthalene was 106 μg L-1 which had significant correlation with cigarette smoking (r=0.49; p&lt;0.01). However, pyrene body burden (mean 19.18 μg L-1) appeared to be a significant predictor of urinary 1-hydroxyprene pyrene (69.9 μmol mol-1 creatinine). Among people associated with petroleum related occupations, there was fairly high significant effect of daily work-hours and job duration on serum pyrene levels. Urban population exposed to 6 hour per day or more had significantly high prevalence of physical disorders (OR=2.79, 95% CI=1.28-6.09). Neurasthenic symptoms were found in 65% of the subjects and were associated with years of involvement in job. Ten years or more occupational work at petrol pumps attributed substantial development of neurasthenic effects (OR=2.80, 95% CI=1.23-6.34). We conclude that subjects associating disturbances in physical and neurological behavior with petrol related occupation rated their overall health and functional capacity significantly poorer than that of urban area general population. A direct relationship between exposure to PM with population illness was observed especially during winter. To promote health of occupational groups, reduction in work hours and provision of masks and gloves could be introduced as health interventions.

Bio-perceptions of Hydro carbon contaminated soil and its Bioremediation effect with Biological Consortia”

The present research work has clearly denoted as initially estimation of physic-chemical properties of the experimental hydrocarbon contaminated soil. The texture of the soil plays a very important role in microbial and plant species establishment and development and also influences physical parameters of the soil. The current results are clearly showed experimental soil of the hydrocarbon contaminated soil possessed totally eight different autochthonus bacterial strains were provably identified viz., Acinetobacter, Mycobacterium sp., Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., and Aeromonas sp., observed by Bergy’s Manual. When this experimental soil was remediated with two biological sources such as four allothonus bacterial strains named as Enterobacter sp., Flavobacter sp., Shigella sp., and Bacillus sp., along with agronomic wastes also addition with neem juice. From the present result showed that Enterobacter sp., subjected polluted soil was remediated maximum than other treated sources assessed by spectrometric data. While, the biofilm formation experiment also been definitely expressed biodegradation potential enriched allothonus bacterial strain was the following order Enterobacter sp., Flavobacter sp., Shigella sp., and Bacillus sp.,. Moreover, other interesting finding also had been profounded such as dominant Antagonistic activity potential possessed autochthonus bacterial strain from the hydrocarbon contaminated soil. It has been identified through the molecular identification those typical organism expressed the named as ‘’Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA96’’by 16sr RNA sequence analysis. Additionaly maximum and maximum antagonistic activity has been noticed on E.coli, more or less similar zone of inhibition showed on other bacterial species of Shijella sp., and K. pneumonia. Moreover, HPLC results were almost elucidated fractions of hydrocarbon compounds thoroughly replied total illustrated chemical compounds are gradually minimized, when the heavy contaminated soils subjected with other bacterial sources along with various agronomic wastes. It has been significantly reduced the spectrum of the total hydrocarbon derivatives when it compared with before treatment of the contaminated soils. Therefore, these allothonous bacterial organism Enterobacter sp., strains could be considered for future use for bioremediation of oil contaminated land. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of the isolated strains to degrade hydrocarbons in situ, in natural environmental conditions. This could be equally applicable for any allothonously present or other bacterial strains ubiquitously available in nature, and the technology could be further developed for targeting of any pollutants present on earth creating enormous environmental and health hazards.

High performance of the A-Mn2O3 nanocatalyst for persulfate activation: Degradation process of organic contaminants via singlet oxygen

In this study, the catalytic activation of persulfate (PS) via metal oxides was investigated, and the A-Mn2O3 nanocatalyst was found to have the highest efficiency among other PS activators for the degradation of organic contaminants. Additionally, A-Mn2O3 exhibited a remarkable efficiency in activating PS for the degradation of phenol compared to both B-Mn2O3 and C-Mn2O3. This was attributed to the longer bonds between edge-sharing MnO6 octahedra, the unique structure, the high content surface –OH groups, and the average oxidation states. This indicated that all these properties played an important role in an efficient PS activation. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, scavenger tests, and chemical probes were conducted to investigate the reactive oxygen species (ROS). Singlet oxygen (1O2) was determined to be the main ROS generated from PS activation. A plausible mechanism study was proposed, which involved inner-sphere interactions. An electron transfer of the Mn species facilitated the decomposition of PS to generate HO2•/O2• − radicals, which were utilized as a precursor for 1O2 generation via direct oxidation or the recombination of HO2•/O2• −. Finally, the phenol and Sulfachloropyridazine (SCP) degradation pathways were proposed by 1O2 over the A-Mn2O3/PS system according to HPLC and LC-MS results.

Microbiological assessment of aerobically stored horse fillets through predictive microbiology and metabolomic approach

The aim of this work was to investigate the microbial association of horse fillets during aerobic storage at isothermal conditions (0-15 °C). Samples were analyzed microbiologically, and in parallel the metabolic profile of the samples was quantified by HS-SPME/GC–MS and HPLC-PDA-RI. Considering HPLC results, the concentration of propionic, formic, lactic and succinic acids decreased during aerobic storage of horse fillets, contrary to acetic, citric, butyric and isobutyric acids, which increased. As far as the volatilome formation during aerobic storage is concerned, pentanal, hexanal, octanal, nonanal, decanal, were correlated with fresh samples, while diacetyl, acetoin, 2-heptanone, 2-octanone, hexanoic acid, 3-methyl-butanol, 2-methy-butanol and 3-methyl-butanal detected in spoiled ones. Herein, a support vector machine regression model using data from 0, 5 and 15 °C predicted the responses of the dataset at 10 °C with a correlation coefficient 0.915 and 0.910 for training and testing, respectively.

Effects of processing methods on phenolic compositions, anti-oxidant activities and α-glucosidase inhibitory ability of two buckwheat varieties

Buckwheat (BW), as an important raw material rich in phenolic/flavonoid compounds, has been widely used to make various functional foods. However, there are few studies investigating the effects of processing methods on the phenolic compositions and bio-activities of two BW varieties. In this study, several processing methods including steaming, roasting, and enzymatic and fermentation were applied to treat two BW varieties. After processing, the highest contents of TPC (16.2 ?? 0.7 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dried weight for tartary BW and 11.4 ?? 0.5 gallic acid equivalent/g dried weight for common BW) and TFC (36.5 ?? 1.2 mg rutin equivalent/g dried weight for tartary BW and 20.7 ?? 0.6 mg rutin equivalent/g dried weight for common BW) were obtained in BW fermented with Monacus anka. However, steaming, roasting, and enzymatic methods significantly decreased TPC and bio-activities of two BW varieties. HPLC results showed rutin, quercetin and ferulic acid were the most abundant phenolic compositions in two varieties BW. Compared to the control, the contents of rutin, quercetin and ferulic acid in fermented BW were significantly higher. Moreover, Monascus anka BW fermented with M. anka showed the stronger antioxidant activities and ??-glucosidase inhibition activities than BW treated by other processing methods. In addition, a significantly positive correlation existed between the investigated bio-activities and the phenolic compositions in BW samples. In short, it is concluded that fermentation should be taken into consideration in the processing of BW to enhance the contents of phenolic compounds, and then improve the functionality of BW.

Direct spectroscopic and GC profiling combined with chemometric analysis as an alternative approach to investigate Hypericum species: Is it possible to replace HPLC?

The genus Hypericum comprises about 500 species, but mainly H. perforatum is frequently studied due to the long tradition of application thereof in medicine and ethnomedicine. In this work, metabolite profiling with the use of direct spectroscopic techniques (mass spectrometry/MS, infrared spectroscopy/IR, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy/NMR) and gas chromatography (GC) were combined with multivariate statistical analysis to find a pattern for distinguishing H. perforatum from other Hypericum species (H. annulatul, H. calycinum, H. hirsutum, H. hookerianum, H. humifusum, H. maculatum, H. olympicum and H. pseudohenryi). The PCA (Principal Component Analysis) of the multivariate data showed that PC2 versus PC3 facilitated distinguishing commercial Hypericum samples and H. perforatum from other Hypericum species. Moreover, PC2 versus PC3 revealed by the GC data showed high similarity with the HPLC results.

Optimization of Extrusion and Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Jizi439 Black Wheat Bran

Jizi439, a newly developed black wheat breeding line, was reported to effectively regulate blood glucose, which may potentially be associated with its intrinsic high level of phenolic compounds (PCs). To maximize the PCs yield and thereby enhance their antioxidant activity, orthogonal experiments were designed in sequence for extrusion of Jizi439 black wheat bran (BWB) powder and followed by the extraction of PCs assisted with ultrasound technique. White wheat bran was used as a control. The optimum condition for extrusion was 110 °C, 25% feed water content, 140 rpm screw speed; meanwhile, 50 °C, 40 min, 35 kHz ultrasonic frequency, 300 W ultrasonic power for ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Total phenolic content (TPC) as determined by Folin–Ciocalteu method was 2856.3 ± 57.7 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram of dry weight (DW) of phenolic extract; meanwhile, antioxidant activity (AA) in terms of DPPH radical scavenging ratio was 85.5% ± 1.1% under optimized conditions, which were both significantly higher than the control. Phenolic acids except for gallic acid, as well as flavonoids, including luteolin and apigenin were increased by extrusion and ultrasound, as suggested by HPLC results. In conclusion, our study would provide a valuable reference for processing Jizi439 BWB before making or commercially utilize it into health-related food products.

Thymoquinone administration ameliorates Alzheimer's disease-like phenotype by promoting cell survival in the hippocampus of amyloid beta1–42 infused rat model

BackgroundThymoquinone (TQ), a biologically active ingredient of Nigella sativa, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective properties. Therefore, it could be a good candidate in the recovery of Alzheimer`s disease (AD) pathology rather than current symptomatic reliefs. PurposeIn the present study, we examined the molecular healing effects of TQ in amyloid beta 1–42 (Aβ1–42) peptide-infused AD rat hippocampus. Study designA micro-osmotic pump containing aggregated Aβ1–42 was cannulated into the hippocampus of adult female rats. After two weeks infusion, the dose of TQ (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg) was determined according to the HPLC results of cerebrospinal fluid and TQ was given to rats intragastrically for 15 days. MethodsThe memory performance of rats was determined by Morris water maze test. Afterwards, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level were measured by ELISA. Histopathological examinations of hippocampal tissue were performed for cell survival by Nissl staining, for detection of amyloid plaque deposits by Congo red staining and for determination of degenerating neurons by Fluoro Jade C staining. MicroRNA/mRNA levels and protein expressions of AD-related genes and proteins were analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western Blotting, respectively. ResultsAdministration of TQ enhanced the memory performance of Aβ1–42 infused rats and it also ameliorated the neuronal loss in the cornu ammonis (CA1), but not in the dentate gyrus (DG). In addition, TQ treatment decreased the fibril deposition whose accumulation was significantly higher in the Aβ1–42-infused animals compared to that of the control group. The expression profiles of mir29c and Bax which significantly upregulated in the Aβ1–42-infused animals were attenuated by TQ. Furthermore, administration of TQ decreased the expressions of Aβ, phosphorylated-tau, and BACE-1 proteins. There was no significant therapeutic effect of TQ on the AKT/GSK3β or MAPK signaling pathways which were affected due to Aβ1–42 infusion. ConclusionTQ has the capacity to recover the neuropathology by removing Aβ plaques and by restoring neuron viability. All might have established the molecular basement of the consolidation in the memory observed by means of TQ treatment.