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The brown alga Sargassum fusiforme (SF) is historically consumed as a food material in Japan. A steaming process is often required for SF products on the market due to their moderate hardness and astringent taste. This investigation aimed to elucidate the effect of steaming on the anti-diabetic activity of SF and its related chemical components. Acetone extracts of SF were prepared after it were steamed for 0, 1, 2, or 4 h (SF-0h, SF-1h, SF-3h, and SF-4h, respectively). Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory profiles of each SF extract were made based on activity-guided separation. The active fractions were collected and NMR was applied for a further chemical composition analysis. Our results suggested that total polyphenol levels decreased drastically after steaming, which resulted in a drop in α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The fatty acid, pheophytin a, and pyropheophytin a contents were elevated significantly after steaming, which contributed to the majority of the activity of steamed SF (SF-1h). However, prolonging the steaming time did not significantly affect the activity of SF further since the content of free fatty acids in steamed SF (SF-2h and SF-4h) almost did not change with a longer time of steaming. Moreover, palmitic acid, 8-octadecenoic acid, and tetradecanoic acid were identified as the top three important fatty acids for the inhibition of α-glucosidase by steamed SF. Further molecular docking results revealed that these fatty acids could interact with residues of α-glucosidase via hydrogen bonds, salt bridges, and hydrophobic interactions. In conclusion, steaming altered the α-glucosidase inhibitory properties of SF by changing the contents of polyphenols, fatty acids, and chlorophyll derivatives.

In this study, the removal effect of a new MOF-on MOF adsorbent based on Cu–Co bimetallic organic frameworks on tetracycline antibiotics (TCs) in water system was studied. The adsorbent (Cu-MOF@Co-MOF) were synthesized by solvothermal and self-assembly method at different concentrations of Co 2+ /Cu 2+ . The characterization results of SEM, XRD, XPS, FTIR and BET indicated that the MOF-on MOF structure of Cu-MOF@Co-MOF exhibited the best recombination and physicochemical properties when the molar ratio of Co 2+ : Cu 2+ is 5:1. In addition, the Cu-MOF@Co-MOF have a high specific surface area and bimetallic clusters, which can achieve multi-target synergistic adsorption of TCs. Based on above advantages, Cu-MOF@Co-MOF provided a strong affinity and could efficiently adsorb more than 80% of pollutants in just 5 to 15 min using only 10 mg of the adsorbent. The adsorption capacity of tetracycline and doxycycline was 434.78 and 476.19 mg/g, respectively, showing satisfactory adsorption performance. The fitting results of the experimental data were more consistent with the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating that the adsorption process of TC and DOX occurred at the homogeneous adsorption site and was mainly controlled by chemisorption. Thermodynamic experiments showed that Cu-MOF@Co-MOF was thermodynamically advantageous for the removal of TCs, and the whole process was spontaneous. The excellent adsorption capacity and rapid adsorption kinetics indicate the prepared MOF-on MOF adsorbent can adsorb TCs economically and quickly, and have satisfactory application prospects for removing TCs in practical environments. The results of the study pave a new way for preparing novel MOFs-based water treatment materials with great potential for efficient removal.

This study investigated the microencapsulation process of natural taro essence and characterized its physicochemical properties. The effects of core-to-wall ratio, T-20/β-CD mass ratio, and ultrasonic time on encapsulation efficiency were systematically investigated. Optimal conditions, identified through orthogonal experiments, included a core-to-wall ratio of 1:10, a T-20/β-CD mass ratio of 1.6:1, and an ultrasonic time of 40 min, resulting in an encapsulation efficiency of 56.10%. The characterization of the microcapsules revealed satisfactory physical properties, including low moisture content, suitable solubility, appropriate bulk density, and good flowability. Particle size distribution analysis showed consistency, and zeta potential measurements indicated stability against agglomeration. Thermal analysis demonstrated enhanced thermal stability, and FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed successful encapsulation through significant interactions between taro essence and β-CD. SEM imaging revealed a heterogeneous morphology, while XRD patterns validated the formation of stable inclusion complexes. An analysis of volatile components indicated the effective encapsulation of key alkanes, with PCA and heatmap clustering analyses confirming the stability of these components during storage. In conclusion, the optimized microencapsulation process significantly enhances the encapsulation efficiency, stability, and thermal properties of natural taro essence microcapsules.

Four isonitrogenous experimental diets were used to test the effects of replacing white fish meal with poultry by-product meal (PBM) and adding bile acid (BA) in a commercial feed for the Chinese soft-shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis with 9 replicates and 6 turtles in a 60-day study. Diet 1 contained white fish meal as a main protein source (100 %). Diet 2 contained white fish meal (60.8 %) and PBM (39.2 %) as the protein source. Diets 3 and 4 comprised the addition of 1 g kg −1 of bile acid to diets 1 and 2, respectively. Compared to diet 1, the glutamic-pyruvic transaminase level in the turtles fed with diet 2 were not augmented significantly as was the case for glutamic oxalacetic transaminase level. The relative growth rate and specific growth rate in diet 2 were the same as those of diet 1. The apparent digestibility coefficient for lipid (ADCL) tended to decrease after that white fish meal was partially replaced. The values of weight gain, relative growth rate, feeding rate, specific growth rate, apparent digestibility coefficient for dry matter, ADCL and apparent digestibility coefficient for protein (ADCP) of the turtles on diet 4 (1 g kg −1 bile acid added in diet 2) increased by 28.1, 28.8, 10.1, 20.6, 1.7, 0.6 and 0.3 %, respectively, compared to those on diet 2. The combined effects of bile acid and PBM on the growth of turtles was even more effective than the whole white fish meal diet, by increasing feeding rate 7.4 %; it decreased the amounts of crude lipids (by 22.8 %), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (by 1.9 %), and alkaline phosphatase (by 3.9 %). Therefore, replacing 39.2 % of white fish meal with PBM and adding BA was feasible in turtle feed.

Cyclophosphamide (CP) toxicity on testis was hampered by squid ink polysaccharide (SIP) via restoration of antioxidant ability in our previous investigations. This study investigated roles of Nrf2/ARE signal pathway in testis of treated mice. Male Kunming mice were employed to undergo treatment with SIP and/or CP. Protein levels of Nrf2, keap-1, histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and phosphorylation level of protein kinase C (PKC) in testis were evaluated by Western blotting. Data showed that SIP elevated expressions of NQO-1 and HO-1 genes, two downstream target molecules of Nrf2, via activating Nrf2 to play preventive roles on CP-treated testis, and further discovered that upstream regulators of Nrf2, keap-1, HDAC2, and PKC, were concerned with the regulation of Nrf2. These results suggest that SIP could effectively weaken CP-associated testicular damage via Nrf2/ARE signal pathway.

Aims N‐Demethylsinomenine (NDSM) demonstrates good analgesic efficacy in preclinical pain models. However, how NDSM exerts analgesic actions remains unknown. Methods We examined the analgesic effects of NDSM using both pain‐evoked and pain‐suppressed behavioral assays in two persistent pain models. Then western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate the effects of NDSM on the expression of the GABAA receptor α2 subunit (GABRA2) and inflammatory factors in the spinal cord and brain tissues of male spared nerve injury (SNI) mice. Finally, the individual subtypes of GABAARs (α1, α2, α3, and α5) were respectively silenced by viral‐mediated knockdown to explore the involvement of subtypes of GABAARs in the effects of NDSM on the pain‐like behaviors in male SNI mice. Results NDSM demonstrated significant analgesic effects against chronic pain both in pain‐evoked and pain‐suppressed behavioral assays. NDSM treatment significantly reversed the SNI induced down‐regulation of GABRA2 and up‐regulation of TNF‐α and IL‐1β. The analgesic effects of NDSM were completely blocked by silencing GABRA2 or partially blocked by silencing GABRA3. Conclusion This study provided the first evidence that the analgesic effects of NDSM are mediated primarily by GABRA2 and partially by GABRA3, and the inhibition of neuroinflammation also contributes to the analgesic effects of NDSM. NDSM demonstrates good analgesic efficacy in preclinical pain models with fewer side effects than sinomenine. The analgesic effects of NDSM are mediated primarily by GABRA2 and partially by GABRA3. NDSM shows promise as a novel analgesic candidate for chronic pain management.

N-Demethylsinomenine (NDSM) demonstrates good analgesic efficacy in preclinical pain models. However, how NDSM exerts analgesic actions remains unknown. We examined the analgesic effects of NDSM using both pain-evoked and pain-suppressed behavioral assays in two persistent pain models. Then western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining were used to investigate the effects of NDSM on the expression of the GABA receptor α2 subunit (GABRA2) and inflammatory factors in the spinal cord and brain tissues of male spared nerve injury (SNI) mice. Finally, the individual subtypes of GABA Rs (α1, α2, α3, and α5) were respectively silenced by viral-mediated knockdown to explore the involvement of subtypes of GABA Rs in the effects of NDSM on the pain-like behaviors in male SNI mice. NDSM demonstrated significant analgesic effects against chronic pain both in pain-evoked and pain-suppressed behavioral assays. NDSM treatment significantly reversed the SNI induced down-regulation of GABRA2 and up-regulation of TNF-α and IL-1β. The analgesic effects of NDSM were completely blocked by silencing GABRA2 or partially blocked by silencing GABRA3. This study provided the first evidence that the analgesic effects of NDSM are mediated primarily by GABRA2 and partially by GABRA3, and the inhibition of neuroinflammation also contributes to the analgesic effects of NDSM.

Abstract A new polysaccharide (AAP-1) was extracted and purified from the small bowl of Auricularia auricula-judae, a specialty of Changbai Mountain, China. Furthermore, AAP-1 was degraded by treatment with H2O2-vitamin C (Vc) in combination with succinic acid to obtain a novel low-molecular-weight polysaccharide (DAAP-1) with better hypoglycemic activity. AAP-1 and DAAP-1 had molecular weights of 118.5 and 59.3 kDa, respectively. Both AAP-1 and DAAP-1 are composed of Man, Rha, GlcUA, Glc, Xyl, and Fuc; however, the molar ratios of their components vary. Infrared spectroscopy showed that degradation did not affect the primary structure of DAAP-1. Under atomic force microscopy, DAAP-1 exhibited a finer surface structure than AAP-1. In in vitro hypoglycemic activity analysis, the inhibitory activities of DAAP-1 on α-glucosidase and α-amylase were significantly higher than those of AAP-1, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of DAAP-1 were 1.39 and 1.66 mg/mL, respectively. Animal testing showed that DAAP-1 had better efficacy than AAP-1 in lowering fasting blood glucose levels, reducing insulin resistance, and alleviating glucose-lipid metabolism disorders in type 2 diabetes mellitus mice. Mechanistically, DAAP-1 exerted hypoglycemic activity by regulating the expression of IRS-1, p85, p110, Akt, and p-Akt as well as the glycogen synthesis genes GSK-3β and glycogen synthase in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) metabolic pathway. Thus, DAAP-1 is a low-molecular-weight polysaccharide with excellent hypoglycemic activity.

Recent realizations of ultrathin freestanding perovskite oxides offer a unique platform to probe novel properties in two-dimensional oxides. Here, we observe a giant flexoelectric response in freestanding BiFeO 3 and SrTiO 3 in their bent state arising from strain gradients up to 3.5 × 10 7  m −1 , suggesting a promising approach for realizing ultra-large polarizations. Additionally, a substantial change in membrane thickness is discovered in bent freestanding BiFeO 3 , which implies an unusual bending-expansion/shrinkage effect in the ferroelectric membrane that has never been seen before in crystalline materials. Our theoretical model reveals that this unprecedented flexural deformation within the membrane is attributable to a flexoelectricity–piezoelectricity interplay. The finding unveils intriguing nanoscale electromechanical properties and provides guidance for their practical applications in flexible nanoelectromechanical systems. Freestanding perovskite oxides pave the way to novel flexural properties. Here, the authors observe the nanoscale strain gradient induced flexoelectric polarization with an unusual flexo-expansion/shrinkage effect in freestanding ferroelectric oxide.

High-energy Ni-rich layered oxide cathode materials such as LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811) suffer from detrimental side reactions and interfacial structural instability when coupled with sulfide solid-state electrolytes in all-solid-state lithium-based batteries. To circumvent this issue, here we propose a gradient coating of the NMC811 particles with lithium oxy-thiophosphate (Li 3 P 1+x O 4 S 4x ). Via atomic layer deposition of Li 3 PO 4 and subsequent in situ formation of a gradient Li 3 P 1+x O 4 S 4x coating, a precise and conformal covering for NMC811 particles is obtained. The tailored surface structure and chemistry of NMC811 hinder the structural degradation associated with the layered-to-spinel transformation in the grain boundaries and effectively stabilize the cathode|solid electrolyte interface during cycling. Indeed, when tested in combination with an indium metal negative electrode and a Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 solid electrolyte, the gradient oxy-thiophosphate-coated NCM811-based positive electrode enables the delivery of a specific discharge capacity of 128 mAh/g after almost 250 cycles at 0.178 mA/cm 2 and 25 °C. Layered oxide cathode active materials suffer from interfacial structural instability when coupled with sulfide solid-state electrolytes. Here, the authors propose a gradient coating with a lithium oxythiophosphate layer that can stabilize the cathode|solid-state electrolyte interface.