Search

[Display omitted] • -KC hydrogel beads with more SMGHs can increase Cur load due to tight cross-linking. • -Modified FTIR and amorphous structure in SMGHs/KC/KCl prove successful Cur embedment. • -SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur hydrogel beads have heterogeneous networks with backbone and voids. • -SMGHs/KC/KCl hydrogel beads perform as effective colon-targeting Cur delivery system. • -SMGHs/KC/KCl hydrogel beads promise Cur preservation above 90% during 30 day at 4 °C. Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs)/ κ -carrageenan (KC)/KCl beads with SMGHs:KC ratios (0:10–5:5) were investigated. SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur bead (5:5) exhibited the most intact spherical morphology and highest Cur loading content of 0.063 mg/0.1 g bead, ascribing to a shortened T 23 from 1607.9 to 966.4 ms, and red and blueshifts of O H, NH, amide I and II bands. The undetected fingerprint region within 7.82°-28.90° of SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur beads indicated successful Cur entrapment. Moreover, SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur beads exhibited shrinkage network backbones and larger void pores as SMGHs increased, with vessel percentage area, total number of junctions, total vessel length decreasing from 52.1, 1446.8, 57931.4 to 39.7, 530.5, 34458.4, and lacunarity increasing from 0.048 to 0.111, respectively. Furthermore, Cur showed approximately 50% release contents in colon phase and above 90% retention rate during 30 days of storage at 4 °C. These results suggested that SMGHs/KC/KCl-Cur beads exhibited sustained-release of Cur and promised stable Cur preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gel properties of hydrogel-forming by Ala-Lys dipeptide (AK) and iota-carrageenan (ι-C) were investigated by rheological behavior, fourier transform infrared analysis, cryo-scanning electron microscopy, low field-NMR relaxometry and magnetic resonance imaging. Iota-carrageenan was changed from a liquid to a gel with the addition of AK, and the existence of AK significantly increased the storage modulus (G') of ι-C from 590.4 to 1077.8 Pa. In the ι-C/AK gel, the blue-shift of O H stretching and water deformation were observed, meanwhile, the presence of amide I band at 1682 cm−1 was observed. The network of ι-C/AK gel showed a dense honeycomb structure with flocculating continuous phase and rough entanglement morphology. After adding AK, the water free in the pores of ι-C entered the ι-C/AK gel matrix, and the binding capacity of bound water was enhanced. These scenarios proved that the AK as the cationic dipeptide could control the conversion of negatively charged ι-C from an original random structure to a helical structure due to electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds. This study provides a new opportunity for the peptides into carbohydrate-based gel matrices, which could provide insights for the further application of ι-C/AK gels in the fields of food industry, tissue engineering and drug delivery. • AK dipeptide enhanced the gel properties of iota-carrageenan. • Electrostatic interactions was the main force in AK/ ι-C gel. • The hydrogen bond stabilized the AK/ι-C gel structure. • AK induced regular and homogenous network structure in the ι-C gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • SK hydrogel as vehicle for Cur delivery to colon exerts potential therapeutic effect. • SK-Cur relieves clinical symptoms in DSS-induced UC mice more effectively than Cur. • SK-Cur ameliorates colitis by regulating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. • SK-Cur modulates the gut flora community of mice being similar to normal state. Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates/ κ -carrageenan (SK) double cross-linking network hydrogels were constructed as curcumin (Cur) delivery vehicles with good gel mechanical property and homogeneous honeycomb microstructures. Compared with Cur + DSS group, weight loss and colon length in SK-Cur + DSS group increased about 1.04 and 1.06 folds, while the disease active index (DAI) scores decreased about 13 %. Moreover, SK-Cur showed superior effect on intestinal barrier improvement, oxidative stress modulation, and inflammatory expression regulation, reflected by 1.1 folds increment of epithelial tight junction proteins, 16 % and 27 % decline in MPO and iNOS levels, 20 % decline in NF-κB expression, 4 %, 7 %, 6 % decline in TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 expression in serum, and 9 %, 20 %, 7 % decline in TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 expression in colon tissue. Furthermore, SK-Cur enriched alpha diversity and restored taxonomic composition with increasing Bacteroides and Verrucomicrobia abundance accompanied by decreasing Firmicutes in DSS-induced UC mice, roughly to a normal gut flora state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving agro-resource utilization efficiency is essential for developing an environment-friendly agricultural system. The North China Plain (NCP), China's most important food-producing area, is facing severe resource constraints, such as low carbon and water efficiency. Although there have been many studies on single topic, little is known about the comprehensive assessment of carbon and water utilization in the NCP, as well as the economic benefits under different farmland management measures. We assessed the carbon footprint (CF), water use efficiency (WUE), economic benefits, and their cumulative effects in 2014–2015 during the wheat/maize season and throughout the year. Four tillage systems were investigated: no-till with/without residue retention (NTS/NT0) and conventional tillage with/without residue retention (CTS/CT0). The results indicated that residue retention (RR) reduced area-scaled, yield-scaled, and net income-scaled CF of the entire year by 101.56%, 106.88%, and 103.85%, respectively, compared to residue removal (R0; p < 0.05), due to improved SOC stock, crop yield and net income. Seasonal variations in the effects of no-till (NT) on CF were found. The primary sources of CF components were urea and electrical energy, which contributed 10.0%–34.8% and 5.0%–30.0%, respectively, apart from CF derived from changes in SOC stocks. Compared to R0 (p < 0.05), RR could increase WUE by 5.5%–36.4% while also increasing net income. The highest score of a comprehensive evaluation of carbon and water utilization and economic benefits was CTS, NTS, and CTS during wheat, maize season, and the entire year, respectively. The findings from our study site indicated that residue retention could improve not only the carbon and water use efficiency, but also the farmer income. Residue retention seems to be a promising field management strategy for reducing the environmental footprint of agricultural production, alleviating the agricultural resource pressure, and benefiting farmers in the NCP. • Resource utilization efficiency under different tillage systems were studied. • Residue retention reduced all kinds of carbon footprint of the entire year. • Water use efficiency and net income increased under residue retention. • With appropriate tillage method, residue retention was the best in crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gellan gum (GG) improved gel formation of protein isolate from P. crocea roe (pcRPI). • GG improved the rheological properties and water holding ability of pcRPI gels. • The pcRPI-GG binary gels showed denser, more aggregated network structure. • GG improved the protective effects of curcumin by pcRPI gels with control release. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of gellan gum (GG) on the cold gelation of large yellow croaker roe protein isolate (pcRPI). The water-holding ability and storage modulus of the pcRPI-GG binary gels increased with the GG concentration, where the storage modulus of the pcRPI-0.2% GG gel was approximately 30.7 times that of the pure pcRPI gel. Compare to the other binary gels, pcRPI-0.2% GG gels exhibited a lower lacunarity and higher junction density, with a denser, more aggregated microstructure. Consequently, curcumin was embedded in pcRPI-0.2% GG gels, and simulated gastrointestinal digestion test results showed that GG addition effectively protected and slowed curcumin release in the gastrointestinal environment. These findings may contribute to elucidating the interaction of pcRPI with GG and demonstrate the potential of binary gels for the embedding and delivery of active substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]