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[Display omitted] • Dosage-signal response curve of STRs is related to the Weber-Fechner's law. • Calcium signal from STRs assay and sensory intensity presented linear correlation. • Sweetness evaluation based on STRs exhibits a good stability and reliability. • Sweetness evaluation based on STRs is a potential alternative to sensory evaluation. Sweetness is a crucial indicator for identifying sweeteners used for flavor regulation and nutritional matching of foods. This study established a new quantitative sweetness evaluation method based on a combination of transiently transfected sweet taste receptor cells (STRs) and human sensory evaluation. Here, nine different sweeteners were evaluated and 10 sensory difference intensities and their corresponding concentrations were obtained through sensory evaluation. Using the same concentration solution as in the sensory evaluation, the dosage-response curve and EC 50 of the nine sweeteners were obtained by analyzing the intracellular calcium signal fluctuation of STRs. Data analysis revealed that the calcium signal intensity and sweetness intensity under the same concentration of sweetener presented a strong linear correlation (R2 > 0.9). Additionally, we found a favorable correlation (R2 = 0.8746) between the relative sweetness and EC 50. These findings indicate that the quantitative evaluation of sweetness based on STRs could be a potential alternative to human sensory evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulation, inflammation, and hyperplasia frequently restrict the effectiveness of cardiovascular stents. It is critical to modify stent surfaces to allow for in situ tissue healing. Interrelated coagulation and inflammation can impede endothelialization and are critical to the long-term performance of cardiovascular implants. This study proposes a relatively bio-inert "Anti-fouling plus" coating that is effective in anti-coagulation and anti-inflammation at the early stage of implantation and provides mild inflammatory responses during tissue remodeling process. The phosphorylcholine (PC)-based polymer PM(PCLA) is reacted onto a polydopamine-treated polylactic acid (PLA) surface. PC-based polymers that mimic cell membranes present remarkable antiinflammation and anticoagulation properties. The composite of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and tempol is loaded on the PM(PCLA) coating to achieve "anti-fouling plus" which can mediate inflammatory responses by scavenging reactive oxygen species. In vitro hemocompatibility and cell tests demonstrate the effectiveness of coatings in inhibiting thrombus and inflammation. Interestingly, this study originally reveals a novel strategy that the anti-fouling plus coating can direct vascular tissue healing on stent via promoted endothelialization and mediated contractile smooth muscle cell phenotype by switching inflammatory cells to a pro-repair phenotype during tissue healing process, even if the coating is relatively bio-inert. An "Anti-fouling plus" coating combined with improved blood compatibility and enhanced inflammation-regulation ability can create a gentle microenvironment for neointima repair on the blood-contacting device surface, allowing for effective promotion of endothelialization as well as regulation of smooth muscle cell phenotypic transformation, and inflammatory cell transformation to a pro-repair type. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimally invasive transcatheter interventional therapy utilizing cardiac occluders represents the primary approach for addressing congenital heart defects and left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombosis. However, incomplete endothelialization and delayed tissue healing after occluder implantation collectively compromise clinical efficacy. In this study, we have customized a recombinant humanized collagen type I (rhCol I) and developed an rhCol I-based extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimetic coating. The innovative coating integrates metal-phenolic networks with anticoagulation and anti-inflammatory functions as a weak cross-linker, combining them with specifically engineered rhCol I that exhibits high cell adhesion activity and elicits a low inflammatory response. The amalgamation, driven by multiple forces, effectively serves to functionalize implantable materials, thereby responding positively to the microenvironment following occluder implantation. Experimental findings substantiate the coating's ability to sustain a prolonged anticoagulant effect, enhance the functionality of endothelial cells and cardiomyocyte, and modulate inflammatory responses by polarizing inflammatory cells into an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Notably, occluder implantation in a canine model confirms that the coating expedites reendothelialization process and promotes tissue healing. Collectively, this tailored ECM-mimetic coating presents a promising surface modification strategy for improving the clinical efficacy of cardiac occluders. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of drug-eluting stents (DESs) have yield a significant reduction in the incidence of re-stenosis, however, challenges remain including incomplete healing of the endothelium, inflammatory response and thrombogenesis at the site of vascular wall injury. Here, we developed a novel stent with polyphenol-polyamine surface combining the biological functions of nitric oxide gas and VEGF, selectively promoting the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells while suppressing smooth muscle cells. Compared with bare PLLA stents and traditional DESs, the functionalized stents enhanced vascular healing through remarkable inhibiting intimal hyperplasia and occurrence of thrombosis, accelerating the in-situ endothelium repair. Moreover, it showed a down-regulation of injury vascular inflammation response and reduction of the vessel wall injury in New Zealand Rabbits after 1- and 3-month implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) placement remarkably reduces the over-proliferation of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and thus neointimal hyperplasia. However, the pharmacological agent also slows down the re-endothelization, delays injury vascular healing and increases the risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR). Here, inspired by mussel foot proteins (Mfps), a mimicking endothelium functional stent coating was efficiently fabricated by thiol-ene "click" reaction, consisting of catechol grafted chitosan (CS–C), zinc sulfate, and Arg-Glu-Asp-Val (REDV) peptide. The mimicking endothelium coating could continuously catalyze endogenous nitric oxide (NO) gas and maintain the bioactivity of REDV peptide. Compared with bare stents, the mimicking coatings significantly inhibited the acute thrombosis for the first 1-week, accelerated re-endothelization and decreased in-stent restenosis for 1- and 3-month after implantation. In addition, the synergistic effect of NO and REDV peptide also regulated inflammation response and promoted the expression of muscle fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-eluting stents have become one of the most effective methods to treat cardiovascular diseases. However, this therapeutic strategy may lead to thrombosis, stent restenosis, and intimal hyperplasia and prevent re-endothelialization. In this study, we selected 3-aminophenylboronic acid-modified hyaluronic acid and carboxylate chitosan as polyelectrolyte layers and embedded an epigallocatechin-3-gallate–tanshinone IIA sulfonic sodium (EGCG–TSS) complex to develop a sandwich-like layer-by-layer coating. The introduction of a functional molecular EGCG–TSS complex improved not only the biocompatibility of the coating but also its stability by enriching the interaction between the polyelectrolyte coatings through electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and covalent bonding. We further elucidated the effectiveness of sandwich-like coatings in regulating the inflammatory response, smooth muscle cell growth behavior, stent thrombosis and restenosis suppression, and vessel re-endothelialization acceleration via in vivo and in vitro. Conclusively, we demonstrated that sandwich-like coating assisted by an EGCG–TSS complex may be an effective surface modification strategy for cardiovascular therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Sweetness calculation equation for sucrose established: S suc = 12.36 ∗ log 10 C suc + 5.47. • Sweetness index (SI) for five sugars established. • Sweetness calculation equation for four sugars established: S X-ose = 12.36* log 10 (C X-ose SI) +5.47. • Conversion method and equation are more reliable than those in previous studies. Abstract This study's aim is to establish a new sensory sweetness definition and conversion method for five sugars. A "closed-type" question based on triangle test and paired comparison was used for sensory evaluation. The absolute threshold and nine sensory difference threshold values were determined and used to generate a sweet sensory difference strength curve. Defining absolute threshold of sucrose sweetness as 1, the sucrose sweetness at any concentration could be calculated via the curve. After taking the logarithm of each curve, sweetness index was calculated as 1, 1.12, 0.94, 1.29, and 1.25 for sucrose, glucose, fructose, lactose and maltose, respectively. Based on this, each sugar concentration and sweetness could be converted and calculated. Single sugar and mixed-sugars sweetness comparison experiments verified the new sweetness index and sweetness values were more accurate (83.3–100%) than those reported in previous studies. Therefore, this new definition and conversion method established more reliable references for sweet taste sensory applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Lactoferrin-DHA-codelivered liposomes with various membrane structure were studied. • Liposomal size influenced particle degradation more obviously than its composition. • Liposome contained complex phospholipids showed a higher rate of in vitro digestion. • Small-sized complex phospholipid liposomes promoted cargos absorption in organoids. Inspired by membrane structure of breast milk and infant formula fat globules, four liposomes with different particle size (large and small) and compositions (Single phospholipids contained phosphatidylcholine, complex phospholipids contained phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin) were fabricated to deliver lactoferrin and DHA. In vitro infant semi-dynamic digestive behavior and absorption in intestinal organoids of liposomes were investigated. Liposomal structures were negligible changed during semi-dynamic gastric digestion while damaged in intestine. Liposomal degradation rate was primarily influenced by particle size, and complex phospholipids accelerated DHA hydrolysis. The release rate of DHA (91.7 ± 1.3 %) in small-sized liposomes (0.181 ± 0.001 μm) was higher than free DHA (unencapsulated, 64.6 ± 3.4 %). Complex phospholipids liposomal digesta exhibited higher transport efficiency (3.4-fold for fatty acids and 2.0-fold for amino acids) and better organoid growth than digesta of bare nutrients. This study provided new insights into membrane structure-functionality relationship of liposomes and may aid in the development of novel infant nutrient carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of sodium intake without affecting saltiness perception is still a huge challenge. The acid method (pH 2.0, 85 °C, 90min) and subcritical water treatment (SW, pH 6.3–2.0, 120 °C, 30min) were used to prepare saltiness-enhanced polysaccharides from soy hull. Structural and physicochemical properties of soy hull polysaccharides (SHP) and their relationship to the salivary diffusion and mucosal retention of Na+ were analyzed. Compared to acid-extracted SHP (ASHP), SW-extracted SHP (SW6.3, SW5.0, and SW4.0) exhibited a higher saltiness-enhanced effect, accompanied by an accelerated diffusion of Na+ in the saliva and enhanced adhesive retention of Na+ on the porcine tongue. These phenomena may be attributed to different fractions extracted by two methods. ASHP mainly consists of pectic polysaccharides with a higher galacturonic acid content, while RG-I enriched pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides were speculated for SW6.3, SW5.0 and SW4.0, which exhibited highly branched conformation with higher M w and lower charge. The SHP-induced disruption of the salivary mucin network probably accelerates the Na+ permeation and the adhesion of Na+ on the porcine tongue. SW3.0 and SW2.0 showed lower apparent viscosity and M w due to excessive degradation of the backbone and side chain, weakening the diffusion and adhesion of Na+, and salt taste. These results would be useful to reveal the regulatory mechanism of polysaccharides on saltiness perception, which provided a technology to prepare a saltiness-enhanced ingredient from a by-product of soybean processing for low-sodium foods. [Display omitted] • The salivary penetration and mucosal retention of Na + strongly affect salty taste. • The saltiness-enhanced effect of SW-extracted SHP was higher than that of ASHP. • SW-extracted SHP exhibit higher salivary penetration and retention of Na+. • SW extracted high-branched RG-I enriched SHP with higher M w and lower charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-eluting stents (DESs) implantation is an effective method to tackle in-stent restenosis (ISR), which has been considered as an efficient treatment for coronary atherosclerosis. Although fruitful results have been achieved in treating coronary artery diseases (CAD), concern has arisen regarding the long-term safety and efficacy of DESs, primarily due to adverse events such as delayed re-endothelialization, persistent inflammatory response, and late stent thrombosis (LST). Taking inspiration from the immunomodulatory functions of camouflage strategies, this study designed a bio-inspired nanoparticle-coated stent. Briefly, the platelet membrane-coated poly (lactic- co -glycolic acid)/Rapamycin nanoparticles (PNP) were sprayed onto stents, forming a homogenous nanoparticle coating. The bilayer of poly (lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) and platelet membrane works synergistically to promote the sustained-release effect of rapamycin. In vitro studies revealed that the PNP-coated surfaces promoted the competitive adhesion of endothelia cells while inhibiting smooth muscle cells. Subsequent in vivo studies demonstrated that these surfaces expedite re-endothelialization and elicit immunomodulatory effects by regulating the cGMP-PKG and NF-kappa B signaling pathways, influencing the biosynthesis cofactors and immune system signaling. The study successfully deviced a novel and biomimetic drug-eluting stent system, unraveling its detailed functions and molecular mechanism of action for enhanced vascular healing. A biomimetic nanoparticle-embedded drug eluting coating is demonstrated efficient preparation, immune escape, and controlled drug release, which promotes reendothelialization, regulates the inflammatory response, and inhibits thrombosis and restenosis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Epicatechins were all significantly lost during OP. • Non-galloylated catechins were lost through dimerization and epimerization. • Galloylated catechins were lost through hydrolysis, complexation, or dimerization. • EGCG was the least stable of the epicatechins, whereas EC the most. • EGCG was susceptible to pH condition, mucin, and esterase, in human oral cavity. Oral processing (OP), referring to the whole process of food digestion in human mouth, has a major influence on food flavor perception. This study focused on the compositional changes of the four green tea epicatechins (viz., EC, EGC, ECG, EGCG) during OP, based on targeted and nontargeted metabolomics. It was found that the four epicatechins were all extensively lost through transformation undergoing OP, among which EC was the most stable one, whereas EGCG the least. EGCG was further revealed to be susceptible to human oral cavity in the simulated OP in vitro. It could be converted physically by precipitating with mucin in saliva, and chemically through hydrolysis and dimerization, mediated mainly by the neutral pH condition. The OP of epicatechins also caused salivary composition changes possibly involving health benefits of green tea. These findings could raise awareness of the interactions between epicatechins, or any other food materials, with human mouth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium chloride (KCl) can be considered as the most ideal salt replacer to reduce dietary sodium intake and ease various health risks of a high-sodium diet. However, a high proportion of sodium chloride (NaCl) replacement with KCl remains a challenge, because KCl has an inherent metallic bitterness. This study demonstrates a strategy for this bitterness-masking using a natural polysaccharide kappa-carrageenan to specifically bind with K+ and reduce the amount of free K+ as bitter stimulant. The results show that carrageenan can significantly slow down the release and diffusion of K+, leading to a reduced bitter taste of KCl in the mouth. Up to 50% replacement of NaCl by KCl can be achieved. Furthermore, the use of carrageenan-KCl-NaCl complex as salt substitutes can regulate mineral absorption (Na, K, Ca) and reduce hypertension and renal injury risks in the animal tests. In conclusion, this natural biopolymer-based strategy successfully masks the bitter of salt-replacer KCl, opening a route to the universally applicable salt-reduction in future foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Compared with food-derived Cu, water-derived Cu formed smaller complexes. • Compared with food-derived Cu, water-derived Cu had higher Cu2+ concentrations. • When drinking water on an empty stomach, higher Cu2+ concentrations were present. • Drinking water on an empty stomach formed a higher proportion of smaller complexes. In recent years, the safety of copper in drinking water has increasingly been questioned. Copper speciation is an important factor that affects its bioavailability and toxicity; thus, it is critical to investigate the speciation of copper that is ingested from food and drinking water during in vitro digestion. After digestion, water- and food-derived copper formed 60 ± 4% 0.1–1 kDa and 49 ± 6% 10–1,000 kDa copper complexes, respectively. Under simulated fasting drinking water conditions, up to 90 ± 2% 0.1–1 kDa copper complexes formed. In addition, using ion selective electrode analysis, water-derived copper was detected that contained higher Cu2+ concentrations after digestion than those of food-derived copper. These results indicate that water-derived copper forms smaller-sized species and exhibits higher Cu2+ concentrations during digestion than those of food-derived copper, thereby highlighting the importance of reassessing the safety limit for copper in drinking water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]