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Theaflavins, as products of tea fermentation, exhibit significant applications in the fields of functional food, medicine, and others. This study aimed to screen ideal resin, further investigate its adsorption mechanisms, and optimize the dynamic purification process of ideal resin. Through static adsorption/desorption studies, LX-20B resin with great adsorption and desorption ability was screened from six macroporous resins. The adsorption mechanism of LX-20B resin was studied through static adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic experiments. The results showed that the adsorption of TFs on LX-20B resin corresponded to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir kinetic model, indicating that the adsorption is a high-temperature spontaneous, and monolayer adsorption process. After studying the adsorption mechanism of LX-20B resin, the process parameters for purifying TFs using LX-20B resin were further optimized. At a sample concentration of 150 mg/mL and a sample loading flow rate of 1.0 BV/h, sequential elution with 3.0 BV water, 4.0 BV of 30% (v/v) ethanol, and 2.0 BV of 60% (v/v) ethanol at a flow rate of 1.0 BV/h led to a significant increase in TFs purity from 14.28 ± 0.05% to 62.48 ± 0.37%, with a recovery rate of 52.98 ± 2.01%. The purity was 4.4 times greater than that of the crude material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary hypertension (PAH) is a cardiopulmonary disease in which pulmonary artery pressure continues to rise, leading to right heart failure and death. Otud6b is a member of the ubiquitin family and is involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis and inflammation. The aim of this study was to understand the role and mechanism of Otud6b in PAH. C57BL/6 and Calpain-1 knockout (KO) mice were exposed to a PAH model induced by 10% oxygen. Human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPACEs) and human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) were exposed to 3% oxygen to establish an in vitro model. Proteomics was used to determine the role of Otud6b and its relationship to Calpain-1/HIF-1α signaling. The increased expression of Otud6b is associated with the progression of PAH. ROtud6b activates Otud6b, induces HIF-1α activation, increases the production of ET-1 and VEGF, and further aggravates endothelial injury. Reducing Otud6b expression by tracheal infusion of siOtud6b has the opposite effect, improving hemodynamic and cardiac response to PAH, reducing the release of Calpain-1 and HIF-1α, and eliminating the pro-inflammatory and apoptotic effects of Otud6b. At the same time, we also found that blocking Calpain-1 reduced the effect of Otud6b on HIF-1α, and inhibiting HIF-1α reduced the expression of Calpain-1 and Otud6b. Our study shows that increased Otud6b expression during hypoxia promotes the development of PAH models through a positive feedback loop between HIF-1α and Calpain-1. Therefore, we use Otud6b as a biomarker of PAH severity, and regulating Otud6b expression may be an effective target for the treatment of PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fail-safe topology optimization is valuable for ensuring that optimized structures remain operable even under damaged conditions. By selectively removing material stiffness in patches with a fixed shape, the complex phenomenon of local failure is modeled in fail-safe topology optimization. In this work, we first conduct a comprehensive study to explore the impact of patch size, shape, and distribution on the robustness of fail-safe designs. The findings suggest that larger sizes and finer distribution of material patches can yield more robust fail-safe structures. However, a finer patch distribution can significantly increase computational costs, particularly for 3D structures. To keep computational efforts tractable, an efficient fail-safe topology optimization approach is established based on the framework of multi-resolution topology optimization (MTOP). Within the MTOP framework, the extended finite element method is introduced to establish a decoupling connection between the analysis mesh and the topology description model. Numerical examples demonstrate that the developed methodology is 2 times faster for 2D problems and over 25 times faster for 3D problems than traditional fail-safe topology optimization while maintaining similar levels of robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extremophile organisms are known that can metabolize at temperatures down to − 25 °C (psychrophiles) and up to 122 °C (hyperthermophiles). Understanding viability under extreme conditions is relevant for human health, biotechnological applications, and our search for life elsewhere in the universe. Information about the stability and dynamics of proteins under environmental extremes is an important factor in this regard. Here we compare the dynamics of small Fe-S proteins – rubredoxins – from psychrophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms, using three different nuclear techniques as well as molecular dynamics calculations to quantify motion at the Fe site. The theory of ‘corresponding states’ posits that homologous proteins from different extremophiles have comparable flexibilities at the optimum growth temperatures of their respective organisms. Although ‘corresponding states’ would predict greater flexibility for rubredoxins that operate at low temperatures, we find that from 4 to 300 K, the dynamics of the Fe sites in these homologous proteins are essentially equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoa seeds are gluten- and cholesterol-free, contain all amino acids required by the human body, have a high protein content, provide endocrine regulation, protein supplementation, and cardiovascular protection effects. However, metabolite accumulation and transcriptional regulatory networks in quinoa seed development are not well understood. Four key stages of seed development in Dianli-3260 and Dianli-557 were thus analyzed and 849 metabolites were identified, among which sugars, amino acids, and lipids were key for developmental processes, and their accumulation showed a gradual decrease. Transcriptome analysis identified 40,345 genes, of which 20,917 were differential between the M and F phases, including 8279 and 12,638 up- and down-regulated genes, respectively. Grain development processes were mainly enriched in galactose metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, the biosynthesis of amino acids, and carbon metabolism pathways, in which raffinose, phosphoenolpyruvate, series and other metabolites are significantly enriched, gene-LOC110689372, Gene-LOC110710556 and gene-LOC110714584 are significantly expressed, and these metabolites and genes play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism, lipid and Amino acid synthesis of quinoa. This study provides a theoretical basis to expand our understanding of the molecular and metabolic development of quinoa grains.Key message: We constructed the main network pathways of metabolites and genes during the development of quinoa grains and found that sugar and amino acids are the important metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Blue light has a greater effect on jasmonic acid and flavonoid accumulation in wheat seeds than red light; blue light reduces starch synthesis and the size of starch granules and seeds. This study sought to elucidate the effects of blue and red light on seed metabolism to provide important insights regarding the role of light quality in regulating seed growth and development. We used combined multi-omics analysis to investigate the impact of red and blue light (BL) on the induction of secondary metabolite accumulation in the hexaploid wheat Dianmai 3 after pollination. Flavonoids and alkaloids were the most differentially abundant metabolites detected under different treatments. Additionally, we used multi-omics and weighted correlation network analysis to screen multiple candidate genes associated with jasmonic acid (JA) and flavonoids. Expression regulatory networks were constructed based on RNA-sequencing data and their potential binding sites. The results revealed that BL had a greater effect on JA and flavonoid accumulation in wheat seeds than red light. Furthermore, BL reduced starch synthesis and stunted the size of starch granules and seeds. Collectively, these findings clarify the role of BL in the metabolic regulation of early seed development in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium officinale pomace (DOP) is a high-fiber source derived from an industrial by-product. This study researched and compared the microstructure, physicochemical and functional properties of DOP and the total dietary fiber extracted from DOP (DOPF), with the goal of evaluating the potential applications of DOP or DOPF as a functional component in food products. DOPF exhibited a more porous structure and a less crystalline area compared with DOP. DOPF displayed higher water-holding capacity (20.12 g/g vs. 15.30 g/g in DOP), oil-holding capacity (10.99 g/g vs. 8.93 g/g in DOP) and water swelling ability (5.26 mL/g vs. 3.48 mL/g in DOP), but lower cation exchange capacity (189.87 mmol/kg vs. 334.34 mmol/kg in DOP). Moreover, DOPF exhibited higher cholesterol, nitrite ion, bile acid salt, glucose adsorption capacities and GDRI. Therefore, DOPF is a better choice for ideal supplements for dietary fiber and has the potential to increase the value of DOP in food applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofilm is a complex community of microorganisms with a more stable form compared to planktonic bacteria. Probiotic strains in biofilms have been found to have beneficial effects in numerous studies. The formation process and the regulatory mechanisms of biofilm were introduced. Strategies to promote biofilm growth were reviewed in categories. And the extraction and purification process of natural products in exogenous substances was also sorted out and summarized. The research found that different modes of action of the promoting biofilm molecules discussed were facilitated by interfering with the quorum sensing pathways, adhesion mechanisms, the two-component system, influencing extracellular polymers, and secondary messengers involved in various signaling pathways. The studies showed that the strength of the biofilm can be promoted by altering the adhesion surface material and nutrient sources. Probiotics and their secondary metabolites made critical impacts. Further studies found that the ingredients that can promote the formation of bacterial biofilms include hormones, inorganic ions (Mn2+, Cu2+, Fe3+), and natural extracts (inulin, fructooligosaccharides, malic acid, catechins, genistein, cranberry extract, resveratrol, propolis ethanolic extract, bioactive peptides, etc.). The method of extraction and purification prefers safe and low-harm solvents such as ethanol and water. Physical methods were also used to improve yields, such as microwaves, ultra-high pressure, column chromatography, etc. A multi-point, staggered, and all-round examination of the development of probiotic biofilms was directed. The exploration of probiotic biofilm will be a significant advancement heading in the field of probiotic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of endocarp, which has great effects on protein properties, is indispensable during developing pecan kernel protein. The effect of different removal methods, namely alkaline peeling (AP), enzymatic peeling (EP), and mechanical peeling (MP), on the physicochemical, structural, and functional properties of pecan kernel protein was investigated. The obtained proteins by three peeling methods had similar molecular weight (14–66 kDa) and amino acids (18 in all) composition. The average particle size of obtained protein samples in series of EP, AP, MP were 0.89, 0.74, and 0.80 μm respectively, the protein contents were 70.34%, 74.72%, and 73.12% respectively, and the L* values (representative of lightness) were 49.21, 65.18, 59.78 respectively. The protein structure of AP and EP samples was greatly changed, behaving as the reduction of the α-helix and β-sheet in secondary structure and the red-shift of the maximum wavelength in the endogenous fluorescence, while the MP was beneficial to maintain the structure. The AP sample presented better solubility, oil absorption capacity, and emulsification; The MP sample showed the best foaming property. These results confirmed that different peeling methods could greatly influence the physicochemical, structural, and functional properties of pecan protein. This research would provide a useful guideline for the production and applications of pecan protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although computer technologies have greatly advanced in recent years and help engineers improve work efficiency, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) design process is still very time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework for automating the entire design process to replace current human-based HVAC design procedures. This framework includes the following automated processes: building information modeling (BIM) simplification, building energy modeling (BEM) generation & load calculation, HVAC system topology generation & equipment sizing, and system diagram generation. In this study, we analyze the importance of each process and possible ways to implement them using software. Then, we use a case study to test the automated design procedure and illustrate the feasibility of the new automated design approach. The purpose of this study is to simplify the steps in the traditional rule-based HVAC system design process by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) technology based on the traditional computer-aided design (CAD) process. Experimental results show that the automatic processes are feasible, compared with the traditional design process can effectively shorten the design time from 23.37 working hours to nearly 1 hour, and improve the efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design philosophy of fail-safe structures was first proposed in the aerospace industry to provide redundant load paths as back-ups when local damage happens. Most fail-safe topology optimization methods paid more attention to minimizing compliance of the worst failure case. However, the stress concentration due to local failure may lead to secondary damage and further destroy the structure. In the current work, the von Mises stress of damaged structures is considered as the optimization objective, to alleviate the stress concentration caused by possible local failures. Two sorts of topology optimization objectives are investigated: (1) the worst-case formulation; (2) the mean-performance formulation. To avoid the ‘singularity’ problem, the stress is penalized through the RAMP interpolation scheme. The Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser (KS) aggregation function is used to approximate the global stress level. Concerning the highly nonlinear stress behavior, the Method of Moving Asymptotes (MMA) solver is adopted. Finally, the benefits and drawbacks of these two objective functions are systematically compared and discussed through several numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proanthocyanidins are the most abundant phenols with high biological activities in chokeberry. The effects of ultrasonic-microwave assisted extraction (UMAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and traditional solvent extraction (TSE) on the yield, purity, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of crude chokeberry proanthocyanidins (CCP) were evaluated in this study. Results showed that UMAE exhibited the maximum yield (31.52 ± 0.8 mg/g fresh weight) and purity (16.34 ± 0.59%). The method of UMAE not only significantly aggravated the destruction of cells but also accelerated the release rate of proanthocyanidins from cells. Moreover, the CCP extracted by UMAE had the greatest antioxidant and antibacterial activities in the four methods. The IC50 of ABTS·+, DPPH, superoxide anion scavenging abilities were 102.52 ± 0.84, 22.03 ± 0.55, 214.93 ± 1.33 μg/mL, respectively, and the MBC and MIC of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli were 5, 5, 10, 5 mg/mL, and 1.25, 1.25, 2.5, 1.25 mg/mL, respectively. According to the analysis of high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), the main proanthocyanidins in purified chokeberry proanthocyanidins (PCP) were B-type procyanidins, including procyanidin B2, B5 dimer, and procyanidin C1 trimer, with the degree of polymerization (DP) of 14. Therefore, UMAE is an effective extraction to obtain chokeberry proanthocyanidins, which is a potential antioxidant or antibacterial agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiN-VC reinforced VN alloy/Co-based composite coatings were fabricated on mild steel by laser cladding. High temperature oxidation and tribological properties of the composite coatings were researched. Results illustrated that TiN and VC phases were in-situ synthesized in the composite coatings and appeared the aggregation phenomenon. Compared with VN alloy/Co-based composite coatings and substrate, the mass gain of the TiN-VC reinforced VN alloy/Co-based composite coatings after oxidation at 1000 °C was decreased by 16.98 and 89.74%, respectively. The oxidation kinetics curve complied with the parabolic law. The oxidation mechanism was that preferentially formed TiO2 oxidation film with pore structure promoted a few inward diffusional O atoms and outward diffusional Cr and Co atoms to form a thin continuous and dense Cr2O3 and CoO oxidation film, which reduced the oxidation rate of the composite coatings. The mass loss of the TiN-VC reinforced VN alloy/Co-based composite coatings at 600 °C was, respectively, decreased by 23.95 and 97.61%, and the friction coefficient was also obviously decreased. The worn mechanism was the comprehensive action of the abrasive wear, adhesive wear and oxidation wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pecan husk is the primary waste by-product of the pecan industry and accounts for about one-third of the weight of a whole pecan. However, due to the perishability of pecan husk, it is easy to cause secondary pollution to the environment. In this study, freeze-drying (FD), vacuum drying (VD), hot-air drying (HAD), and shade drying (SD) were used to determine the effects on phenolic compounds and some physicochemical properties of pecan husk. Results showed that the FD had the best effect on maintaining the uniform honeycomb structure and the color of pecan husk. The VD had the lowest residual enzymatic activity with the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) of 32.31 ± 1.32%, and the peroxidase (POD) of 34.16 ± 0.66%. The FD extract had excellent phenolic compound [total polyphenol content (TPC) of 138.84 ± 2.73 mg GAE/g DW and total flavonoid content (TFC) of 38.48 ± 3.08 mg RE/g DW], antioxidant activities (the IC50 of DPPH, ABTS, and Superoxide anion were 530.41 ± 0.23, 461.53 ± 1.46, 318.07 ± 2.40 µg/mL, respectively), and antimicrobial activities decreased in the order of S. aureus (25.7 ± 0.2 mm), S. mutans (21.8 ± 0.3 mm), P.aeruginosa (18.8 ± 0.3 mm), and E. coli (16.1 ± 0.3 mm). In general, the results clarify the effect of drying methods on functional ingredients and provide guidance and suggestions for the reuse of pecan husk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic compounds are bioactive metabolites in plants. The phenolic compounds in husks and seeds of areca nut (AN) were extracted via conventional liquid–solid extraction and ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction (UMSE), and abbreviated as CHP, CSP, UHP, and USP, respectively. The extraction conditions of UHP and USP were optimized (solid/solvent ratio of 1:40 and 1:50, the ethanol concentration of 50%, microwave power of 600 and 300 W, and extraction time of 360 and 540 s, respectively). The total phenolic content (TPC) yield, purity, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial activity of four samples were determined and compared. The USP has excellent TPC yield (270.92 mg GAE/g DW), purity (42.84%), antioxidant activities (the IC50 of DPPH, ABTS, and Superoxide anion were 55.40, 81.87, 138.65 µg/mL, respectively), and antibacterial activities (the MIC of Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were 2.50, 5.00, 15.00, and 25.00 mg/mL, respectively). The HPLC–MS showed that USP rich in phenolic compounds, especially proanthocyanidin polymers. Moreover, we speculated that the antibacterial and antioxidant activity might be due to proanthocyanidin polymers. Therefore, UMSE is an efficient method to obtain phenolic compounds of AN, and USP is a potential antibacterial agent and antioxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser cladding CoCrFeNiTiNbB1.25 High entropy alloy coatings on H13 steel was aging treated at 750 °C for 3, 5 and 10 h, respectively. The effect of aging treatment time on the phase constitute, microstructure and wear resistance of the coatings was investigated systematically. The results showed that the phase constitute of the coatings was not changed before and after aging treatment, the volume fraction of TiB phase was gradually increased as aging treatment time increased, and the diffraction peak of fcc phase at 42.98° was gradually shifted to right. The microstructure of the coatings consisted of the typical dendrite, interdendritic structure and dispersed intermetallic compound, the number and size of in-situ TiB dispersed were gradually increased as aging treatment time increased, and the dendrite was not obviously coarsened. The microhardness and wear resistance of the coatings were gradually increased as the aging treatment time increased. Compared with the coatings before aging treatment, the microhardness of the coatings after aging treatment for 10 h was increased by 3.60% and the wear rate was decreased by 3.57%, respectively. The wear mechanism of the coatings before aging treatment was the abrasive wear, and translated into the abrasive wear and adhesive wear after aging treatment. The results of the applied multivariate statistical analysis showed that the aging treatment time had a significant influence on the high entropy alloy coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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CoCrFeNiTiNbBx high entropy alloy coatings were prepared on AISI H13 steel using laser cladding. The effect of the boron content on the microstructure and wear resistance of the coatings was systematically investigated. Results showed that a TiB phase was formed in situ after adding boron, which promoted the formation of short rod-like dendrites and equiaxed crystals in the coatings underlying brittle fractures of massive coarse dendrites. The formation of macrocracks was not observed in the coatings after adding boron. The microstructure was more fine and uniform as the boron content increased. The microhardness and wear resistance of the coatings were gradually increased with the increase in the boron content. The microhardness and mass loss of the coatings were 1.25 and 0.61 times that of the coatings without boron, respectively, for a boron content of 1.25. The wear mechanism of the coatings was the adhesive wear and abrasive wear when the boron content was less than 1.0, and the abrasive wear when the boron content was not less than 1.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business incubators (BIs) have gradually evolved to focus increasingly on the development of networks and network functions. However, existing literature indicates that much ambiguity remains regarding the importance and role of cooperation within the incubator networks. In particular, few studies divide incubator networks into internal and external networks to explore how these networks influence the enterprise growth performance (EGP). Based on the social network and organizational learning theories, we analyze the role of entrepreneurial learning (exploratory and exploitative) in the relationship between internal and external networks and EGP in dynamic environments. Through a multiple regression analysis of survey data from 205 incubatees in 14 Chinese business incubators, we find that the BIs' internal and external networks positively impact EGP and exploratory and exploitative learning mediate the relationship between them. Moreover, when incubatees are in a highly dynamic environment, internal networks more positively affect exploitative learning, while external networks inhibit exploratory learning. Finally, we discuss the study's implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topology optimization is a pioneer design method that can provide various candidates with high mechanical properties. However, high resolution is desired for optimum structures, but it normally leads to a computationally intractable puzzle, especially for the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) method. In this study, an efficient, high-resolution topology optimization method is developed based on the superresolution convolutional neural network (SRCNN) technique in the framework of SIMP. SRCNN involves four processes, namely, refinement, path extraction and representation, nonlinear mapping, and image reconstruction. High computational efficiency is achieved with a pooling strategy that can balance the number of finite element analyses and the output mesh in the optimization process. A combined treatment method that uses 2D SRCNN is built as another speed-up strategy to reduce the high computational cost and memory requirements for 3D topology optimization problems. Typical examples show that the high-resolution topology optimization method using SRCNN demonstrates excellent applicability and high efficiency when used for 2D and 3D problems with arbitrary boundary conditions, any design domain shape, and varied load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Cissus rotundifolia leaves extract were evaluated. The active compounds of plant leaves were extracted by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions. Yield, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities were determined. In addition to six strains of gram-positive and negative bacteria were used for testing antibacterial activities of the plants' extracts. The obtained results demonstrated that extraction of active compounds by using ultrasonic-assisted extraction was more efficient. The dry yield and total phenol compounds of extract were 29.97% and 82.87 mg GAE/g DE, respectively. The antibacterial activities of the extracts were tested against two types of bacteria, Gram-positive strains: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus agalactiae, and Gram-negative strains: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results showed that leaves extract was more effective against Gram-negative bacterial strains. The concentrations of minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal of the leaves extract against S. typhimurium, E. coli and P. aeruginosa (Gram-negative bacteria) were at concentrations of 10, 20 and 20 mg/mL, respectively. The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothioline-6-sulphonic acid)-diammonium salt (ABTS) scavenging activities at a concentration of 2 mg/mL were 90.94% and 98.20%, respectively, while the IC50 was achieved at concentrations of 0.475 and 0.790 mg/mL, respectively. The leaves extract has high antibacterial and antioxidant activities; therefore, it could be a rich source of natural antibacterial and antioxidants for several food and therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influences of the partial replacement of the maltodextrin (MD) as primary wall material by argun fruit polysaccharide (AFPS) as a new promising wall material in microencapsulation of Citrus aurantium L. essential oil (CAEO). The emulsions properties, yield, microencapsulation efficiency (MEE), structural and physicochemical characteristics, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), glass transition temperatures by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), crystallinity, oxidative and antioxidant stability of the freeze-dried CAEO microcapsules were investigated. The highest values of viscosity and droplet size were achieved by CAEO emulsion stabilized with GMA100 formulation. The yield and MEE of CAEO microcapsules were significantly enhanced with increasing of AFPS in the formulations. The partial replacement treatments by AFPS increased solubility, bulk density, tapped density, particle density, and porosity of the obtained microcapsules. FTIR, X-ray, DSC, and TGA techniques were confirmed that the encapsulation of CAEO was perfectly successful. The partial replacement of MD with AFPS improved the oxidative stability and antioxidant activity of microencapsulated CAEO during the storage. Depending on physicochemical properties, thermal stability, and antioxidant activity, it could be considered these microcapsules have promising applications in the functional food and medicine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been projected as an alternative to traditional antibiotics for their superior antimicrobial properties and significant inhibition of the biofilm formation. Particularly, it is found that the effectiveness of AgNPs varies greatly with the biomaterial used in their synthesis. Mushrooms are natural resources for excellent antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, there are few reports on the application of mushrooms in AgNPs biosynthesis. In this study, AgNPs were successfully synthesized using Flammulina velutipes extract as reductants and stabilizing agents. The following analyses of UV-visible spectroscopy showed typical absorbance peak at 450 nm. Transmission electron microscope analysis indicated that the prepared AgNPs were monodispersed spheres with an average size of approximately 22 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the face-centered cubic (fcc) crystalline structure of metallic silver. Furthermore, the synthesized AgNPs exhibited high stability and antibacterial activities against 6 aquatic pathogens. A subsequent challenge experiment showed that the prepared AgNPs significantly reduced the mortality rate of Ruditapes philippinarum clam infected with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Notably, AgNPs treatment could inhibit the biofilm formation of the pathogen, indicating that the extracellular synthesis of AgNPs using mushroom can be developed into a novel effective antimicrobial agent to overcome the multidrug-resistant microorganisms in aquaculture. This study will open a new way for edible mushroom processing and wide application in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a computationally efficient multi-resolution topology optimization framework by establishing a novel bi-directional evolutionary structure optimization (BESO) method based on extended finite element method (XFEM). In the proposed framework, the high-resolution designs preserving the topological complexity can be obtained with low degree of freedoms (DOFs). The implementation of the presented multi-resolution optimization framework takes good use of the ability of XFEM at accurately modeling material discontinuities within one element. On the basis of XFEM, a strategy of triangulated partition and a new material interpolation model are introduced to represent the finer material distribution. We employ the coarser finite element (FE) mesh to perform the finite element analysis, the sub-parts partitioned from finite elements to describe material properties and the nodal design variables to perform the optimization. To circumvent artificially stiff patterns, a modified sensitivity filter is applied to regularize the solution. The effectiveness and high efficiency of the presented approach are highlighted by typical 2D and 3D examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea polyphenols (TPPs), as the most important functional component in tea extract, are easily contaminated by many heavy metals during tea processing, transportation and storage. TPPs with heavy metals can cause serious health problems and economic losses. In this study, to efficiently remove heavy metals from TPPs without affecting their active compounds and antioxidant functions, we prepared the amino-functionalized modified silica gel (AFSG) to remove Pb, Cu and Cd from TPPs, and determined removal rate of heavy metals, total polyphenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of TPPs before and after adsorption. The static adsorption experiments showed that the adsorption isotherms were consistent with Langmuir model, in which the maximum sorption capacities of Pb, Cu and Cd were 140.23, 100.75 and 48.03 mg/g (25 °C, pH 5.0), respectively. Compared with before adsorption, the contents of Pb, Cu and Cd in 3 TPPs samples decreased significantly after adsorption on AFSG column (p < 0.01). However, the TPC and antioxidant capacity of the 3 TPPs samples had no significant effect before and after adsorption (p > 0.05). Meanwhile, the desorption and regeneration experiment showed that after 6 times of cyclic adsorption, the removal ability of Pb, Cu and Cd in TPPs by AFSG column could still reach 98.1%, 99.59% and 99.78%, respectively. Therefore, these results suggested that AFSG column could effectively remove heavy metals from TPPs without affecting the TPC and its antioxidant activity, it has potential applications in the removal and detection of heavy metals in TPPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation and enrichment of phenolics from peony flowers were performed to improve the anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities for the first time. Through several times of separation, the purity of phenolics components increased significantly, and the anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities of phenolics components against E. coli and S. aureus were also significantly improved. Finally, the phenolics of peony flowers in the eluent of silica gel column chromatography (PPF-ESGCC) were found to exhibit the highest anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities. The inhibition rates of PPF-ESGCC on biofilms of E. coli and S. aureus were 77.93%, and 87.03% respectively, at a very low concentration (1/2 MIC, 0.235 mg/mL). It was found that the biofilm inhibition was achieved by inhibiting their swimming, swarming, twitching motilities, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and quorum sensing (QS). Moreover, there was a positive dose-dependent relationship (r = 0.75 to 1) between the inhibition rates and concentrations of PPF-ESGCC during the critical biofilm-formation stage (1–3 days). Chemical composition analysis showed the PPF-ESGCC comprised of gallic acid, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, and apigenin-7-O-glucoside. In conclusion, PPF-ESGCC exhibited strong inhibitory effect on biofilm formation and gallic acid, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, and apigenin-7-O-glucoside might play a crucial role in inhibiting biofilm formation. Meanwhile, this study indicated that PPF-ESGCC, a new natural QS inhibitor and biofilm inhibitor, could be used as a novel intervention strategy to enhance the safety and quality of food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-microwave synergistic extraction (UMSE) and conventional liquid–solid extraction (CLSE) methods were performed to extract the phenolics from ground peony flowers. For MAE and UMSE, the effect of extraction conditions (microwave power, extraction time, solid/solvent ratio, ethanol concentration) on the yield of phenolics was evaluated. Optimum conditions were determined in experiments where a single factor was varied. Under optimal conditions, yield, purity, composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the phenolics from the different extracts were analyzed. The antioxidant activities were determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) and reducing power assays. Thus, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was defined for the different extraction procedures in both DPPH and ABTS assays. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts were determined using an agar well diffusion assay. Although CLSE extracts exhibited the strongest free radical scavenging activities for both ABTS (IC50 = 11.35 ± 0.36 μg/mL) and DPPH (IC50 = 18.07 ± 0.21 μg/mL), and displayed the greatest reducing power, they also had the weakest inhibitory activities for all tested bacteria. Conversely, MAE extracts exhibited the largest zone of inhibition for Escherichia coli (E. coli) (14.00 ± 1.00 mm), Streptococcus mutans (S. mutan) (13.75 ± 0.50 mm), and Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) (12.00 ± 0.10 mm), indicating that MAE extracts exerted the best antimicrobial activities. Therefore, the CLSE method should be selected for producing the strongest antioxidant activities and the MAE procedure for generating the strongest antimicrobial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus medica L. var. sarcodactylis swingle and it is known as Foshou fruit has gained significant importance by researchers because of its large number of functional benefits. In this research we particularly focused on the evaluation of antioxidant and nutritional properties of the peel and pulp of the Foshou. The Foshou peel showed significantly higher antioxidant properties and nutritional contents than the pulp, excluding water, carbohydrate, and energy content. The water extract of Foshou peel and pulp contained 227.45 and 88.76 mg GAE/100 g fresh weight (FW) of total phenolic compounds, with IC50 DPPH·-scavenging activity 22.79 and 54.74 μg GAE/mL, respectively. The antioxidant capacity for Foshou peel and pulp was 214.81 and 71.53 mg Trolox equivalents per 100 g FW respectively. Our results indicated increased levels of pyridoxine, thiamin, riboflavin, copper, and iron in Foshou peel whereas thiamin and pyridoxine were the highest in the pulp. In this research, we found that 100 g of Foshou contribute significantly to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of nutrients. These results draw attention towards the potential use of Foshou as a source of health-enhancing compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful tool for sensing, which can detect a broad range of chemical and biological analytes at the single-molecule level. In this work, a hybrid structure of Au nanodot array and high-quality graphene monolayer is used as SERS substrate, which integrates the electromagnetic enhancement from Au nanodots and chemical enhancement from monolayer graphene. The fabricated SERS substrates consist of uniform round top shape Au nanodot array with coverage of 36.9% where their diameter and gap distribution ranges from ~ 33 to ~ 42 nm and from ~ 22 to ~ 28 nm. The hybrid Au nanodot array/monolayer Gr SERS substrate exhibited a 4.67 times enhanced Raman signal compared to Au nanodots without Gr at the R6G concentration of 10−6 M. The detection limit of R6G is achieved as low as 4.69 × 10−9 M on the Au nanodot array/Gr SERS substrate. These experiments demonstrate a facile approach to fabricate hybrid metal nanostructure/2D materials SERS substrate for biomedical and environmental sensing and provide a clue for high-performance optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features of higher-order chromatin organization—such as A/B compartments, topologically associating domains and chromatin loops—are temporarily disrupted during mitosis1,2. Because these structures are thought to influence gene regulation, it is important to understand how they are re-established after mitosis. Here we examine the dynamics of chromosome reorganization by Hi-C after mitosis in highly purified, synchronous mouse erythroid cell populations. We observed rapid establishment of A/B compartments, followed by their gradual intensification and expansion. Contact domains form from the 'bottom up'—smaller subTADs are formed initially, followed by convergence into multi-domain TAD structures. CTCF is partially retained on mitotic chromosomes and immediately resumes full binding in ana/telophase. By contrast, cohesin is completely evicted from mitotic chromosomes and regains focal binding at a slower rate. The formation of CTCF/cohesin co-anchored structural loops follows the kinetics of cohesin positioning. Stripe-shaped contact patterns—anchored by CTCF—grow in length, which is consistent with a loop-extrusion process after mitosis. Interactions between cis-regulatory elements can form rapidly, with rates exceeding those of CTCF/cohesin-anchored contacts. Notably, we identified a group of rapidly emerging transient contacts between cis-regulatory elements in ana/telophase that are dissolved upon G1 entry, co-incident with the establishment of inner boundaries or nearby interfering chromatin loops. We also describe the relationship between transcription reactivation and architectural features. Our findings indicate that distinct but mutually influential forces drive post-mitotic chromatin reconfiguration. Analysis of the dynamics of chromosome reorganization after exit from mitosis reveals the distinct but mutually influential forces that drive chromatin reconfiguration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cissus rotundifolia is a wild plant, extensively used during scarcity and famine; however, the information about its chemical and nutritional properties still limited. In this work, C. rotundifolia was evaluated for its chemical, nutritional and functional properties. The results revealed that C. rotundifolia mainly contained carbohydrates (72.54%), proteins (12.16%), ash (12.53%), dietary fiber (14.10%), in addition to adequate amounts of essential amino acids and minerals. Fructose, glucose, galactose, and arabinose were the major monosaccharides with a percentage of 23.32, 13.60, 1.24, and 0.25 g/100 g DW, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that C. rotundifolia contained important vitamins, including thiamin (5.37 mg/100 g DW), riboflavin (1.19 mg/100 g DW), pyridoxine (0.46 mg/100 g DW) and folic acid (0.20 mg/100 g DW). The findings of functional properties revealed good water and oil absorption capacities of 2.74 and 1.63 g/g, respectively. Foaming capacity and water solubility index were 14 and 18.74%, respectively. From these results, it can be stated that C. rotundifolia has high nutritional values, which could be used widely in food applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study mainly aimed to optimize a sustainable and green process for extracting bioactive compounds from Foshou fruit by using an integrated technique based on ultrasonic-microwave assisted extraction (UMAE). Response surface methodology (RSM) based on a Box–Behnken design was applied to determine optimal conditions. The following optimized UMAE processing parameters were obtained: sonication time (96.13 s), microwave power (305.28 W), and solid/solvent ratio (1:37). Based on a total phenolic compound extraction yield of 9.21 mg gallic acid (GA) equ/g dry weight (DW), a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 27.52 μg GA equ, and an antioxidant capacity detected by 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) assay of 8.79 mg trolox equ/g DW. The optimized UMAE extract was superior to those obtained using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) or conventional solvent extraction (CSE) methods. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that the three extraction methods affected the sample tissue microstructure. Among them, UMAE caused the most marked structural disruption. UPLC-PDA-Q-TOF-MS analysis identified 67 phenolic compounds in the optimized UMAE extract of the Foshou fruit extract. This study indicated that the integrated UMAE technique is a suitable and safe technique to enhance the qualitative and quantitative extraction of phenolic compounds from Foshou fruit. These phenolic compounds can be used as a functional food ingredient in industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the nutritional and chemical compositions, as well as functional properties, of argun palm (Medemia argun) fruit. Flesh, peel, and kernel of argun fruits were analyzed based on their dry weight. The kernel contained the highest carbohydrate and fiber contents (85.93% dry weight (dwt) and 34.56% dwt, respectively), while the flesh contained substantial amounts of Ca (886.08 mg/100 g dwt) and K (3504.83 mg/100 g dwt). Argun flesh was a good source of B-complex vitamins, sucrose, glucose, xylose, and fructose. Oleic acid was the predominant monounsaturated fatty acid, while pentadecylic acid was the major saturated fatty acid in argun oil. The total essential amino acids composition of kernel, peel, and flesh were 454.40, 1094.50, and 1298.38 mg/100 g dwt, respectively. Argun peel had the highest phenolic content (43.76 mg gallic acid equivalent /g dwt) with highest antioxidant activity in terms of DPPH∙ free radical scavenging activity expressed as the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), ABTS∙+ radical cation, and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). There were significant differences among all argun fruit parts in terms of the functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detailed antibacterial mechanism of cordycepin efficacy against food-borne germs remains ambiguous. In this study, the antibacterial activity and action mechanism of cordycepin were assessed. The results showed that cordycepin effectively inhibited the growth of seven bacterial pathogens including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens; the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were 2.5 and 1.25 mg/ml against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope examination confirmed that cordycepin caused obvious damages in the cytoplasmatic membranes of both E. coli and B. subtilis. Outer membrane permeability assessment indicated the loss of barrier function and the leakage of cytoplasmic contents. Propidium iodide and carboxyfluorescein diacetate double staining approach coupled with flow cytometry analysis indicated that the integrity of cell membrane was severely damaged during a short time, while the intracellular enzyme system still remained active. This clearly suggested that membrane damage was one of the reasons for cordycepin efficacy against bacteria. Additionally, results from circular dichroism and fluorescence analysis indicated cordycepin could insert to genome DNA base and double strand, which disordered the structure of genomic DNA. Basis on these results, the mode of bactericidal action of cordycepin against E. coli and B. subtilis was found to be a dual mechanism, disrupting bacterial cell membranes and binding to bacterial genomic DNA to interfere in cellular functions, ultimately leading to cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cissus rotundifolia (Forssk.) is a wild plant belongs to the Vitaceae family, containing high levels of minerals, vitamins and amino acids. It has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of several diseases. In this work, the effects of different ultrasound-assisted extraction parameters including solvent type and concentration, sonication time, power, temperature, and sample to solvent ratio on the total phenol compounds (TPC) and antioxidant activities of C. rotundifolia leaves extract were investigated. The leaves extract showed high phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity. Under the optimal conditions (acetone as a solvent, with a concentration of 40%, sonication time of 40 min, power of 150 W, temperature of 40 °C, and sample to solvent ratio of 1:50 w/v), TPC of 15.68 gallic acid equivalents/gram dry weight (g DW) was attained. Regarding the antioxidant activities, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothioline-6-sulphonic acid)-di-ammonium salt (ABTS) were 59.35% and 20.34 mg Trolox/g DW, respectively. There was a significant correlation between TPC, DPPH, and ABTS with the extraction conditions in particular solvent type and concentration. The scanning electron microscopy revealed that the ultrasound affected the walls of plant cells, and thus facilitated solvent penetration for phenolic compounds extraction. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that C. rotundifolia leaves extract contained various phenolic compounds characterized by their potential applications in several medical and pharmaceutical purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effect of gypenosides on porcine pancreatic lipase (PL) activity was determined in vitro. Gypenosides inhibited the PL activity in a dose-dependent manner at the concentrations of 0-1.0 mg/ml. The Lineweaver-Burk plots for gypenosides indicated that the inhibition on PL by gypenosides was noncompetitive. The conformation of PL was investigated by means of circular dichroism and fluorescence. The result revealed the decrease in α-helix contents, increase in β-sheet and the decrease in fluorescence intensity after gypenosides treatment. The incorporation of cholesterol into micelles was inhibited by gypenosides. A complex was observed by transmission electron microscopy, indicating interaction between cholesterol and gypenosides which led to the decrease in cholesterol micelle solubility. The result revealed the fact that gypenosides played a role in inhibiting PL activity and reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption via inhibition of micelle formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

d-galactose-6-sulfurylase has potential application in the improvement of the carrageenan quality. The lyophilized and thermal stability of the Gal-6-sulfurylase prepared from Eucheuma striatum was investigated using selected chemical additives. The addition of 5 % ( w/ v) sucrose and trehalose to Gal-6-sulfurylase prior to lyophilization could retain nearly 100 % enzymatic activity, compared to only 19 % for the lyophilized control. The lyophilized Gal-6-sulfurylase containing sucrose maintained full activity for even 40 days storage at −20 °C. For Gal-6-sulfurylase solution, glycerol was effective for long-term stability at −20 °C. Moreover, polyol sucrose and amino acid glycine enhanced the thermal stability of Gal-6-sulfurylase, while polyol mannitol decreased the thermal stability of Gal-6-sulfurylase. The results show that the Gal-6-sulfurylase, found in the red alga E. striatum, was stabilized by the addition of chemical additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of burdock leaf and screen the antimicrobial compounds from burdock leaf based on metabolomics. The crystal violet assay indicated that 34 % ethanol elution fraction of burdock leaf could completely inhibit biofilm formation of Salmonellaty phimurium at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Then, the chemical composition of burdock leaf fraction was analyzed by UPLC-MS, and 10 active compounds (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, quercetin, ursolic acid, rutin, luteolin, crocin, benzoic acid, tenacissoside I) were identified. Lastly, UPLC-MS analysis was applied to obtain the metabolic fingerprints of burdock leaf fractions before and after inhibiting the biofilm of S. phimurium. The metabolic fingerprints were transformed into data with the software MarkerLynx and analyzed with principle component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis. Then, 43 variables were screened as potential anti-biofilm ingredients. Among them, chlorogenic acid and quercetin were confirmed as potential anti-biofilm compounds in burdock leaf. It provided data basic for the study of anti-biofilm compounds in burdock leaves, as well as provided a new and convenient method for fast screening of anti-biofilm ingredients from natural plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to separate epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from tea polyphenols, the adsorption ability of resins chosen toward catechins was investigated. According to static adsorption results of resins selected, polyamide displayed better selective adsorption ability between esterified and non-esterified catechins, and LSA-10 distinguished EGCG from ECG very well among esterified catechins. Therefore, columns packed with polyamide and resin LSA-10 were adopted in the first and second purification of EGCG, respectively. After the first-run purification, the product can be obtained with a 70.27 % EGCG purity and 80.21 % recovery. After the second-run separation, product contained an EGCG purity of 95.14 % and a total recovery of 76.78 % can be achieved. Moreover, a higher per volume adsorption material load amount 51.02 mg mL tea polyphenols and yield 24.11 mg mL EGCG were obtained in the study. Furthermore, only ethanol solution was used as elution reagent in the process. In the study, a method that is environmentally friendly, with lower cost and better repeatability has been developed. This result will be of help in development of tea resources and applications on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibition effects of burdock leaf ethanol fraction on the viability, biofilm formation of food-related bacteria and the mechanism were first investigated. The results showed that burdock leaf ethanol fraction significantly inhibited the formation of biofilm by Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes. The lowest concentration of the fraction that showed 100 % inhibition on the formation of L. monocytogenes biofilm was 2.50 mg/ml, which was equal to the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against bacterial growth. As for S. aureus, the lowest concentration of burdock leaf fraction that completely inhibited (100 %) the formation of biofilm was found to be 1.25 mg/ml, which was lower than MIC of the fraction (2.5 mg/ml). Thus, the biofilm inhibition effect of burdock leaf fraction against S. aureus was not completely due to the inhibition on bacteria growth. Then, the effects of burdock leaf fraction on quorum sensing signals were evaluated through GC-MS/MS analysis. The results indicated that burdock leaf fraction interfered with quorum sensing system and changed the composition of signaling molecules, thereby affecting the function of the quorum sensing system, significantly inhibiting the formation of biofilm. Then, the chemical composition of burdock leaf fraction was analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)-MS/MS and eight active compounds were identified. The burdock leaf fraction based on its interfering with quorum sensing systems and the significant inhibition on the formation of biofilm could be highly useful in control of biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have applied 57Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) for the first time to study the dynamics of Fe centers in Iron-sulfur protein crystals, including oxidized wild type rubredoxin crystals from Pyrococcus furiosus, and the MoFe protein of nitrogenase from Azotobacter vinelandii. Thanks to the NRVS selection rule, selectively probed vibrational modes have been observed in both oriented rubredoxin and MoFe protein crystals. The NRVS work was complemented by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) measurements on oxidized wild type rubredoxin crystals from Pyrococcus furiosus. The EXAFS spectra revealed the Fe-S bond length difference in oxidized Pf Rd protein, which is qualitatively consistent with the crystal structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The system of SiO-CaO-PO bioactive glasses (BG) were successfully synthesized by microemulsion approach. X-ray diffraction (XRD),scanning electron micro scopy(SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses, transmission electron microscopy(TEM),Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), BET N gas adsorption analysis techniques were utilized in order to evaluate the phase composition, dimension, morphology, interconnectivity of pores and particle size of the synthesized BG respectiveely. The biocompatibility of BG was assessed by using dimethylthiazol diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT).The BG scaffolds were implanted in rabbit mandibles and studied histologically. The results showed that the BG with a particle size less than 100 nm was prepared successfully. The measured BET specific surface area and pore volume was 113.9 m/g and 0.28 cm/g respectively. Cell cultures revealed that BG has been shown to have good biocompatibility and is also beneficial to the survival of Schwann cells, which can promote cell proliferation in vivo assay indicating that the BG can promote osteoconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic liquid-based online ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) and solid-phase trapping (SPT) technique was developed to extract selectively rhodiosin and rhodionin from Rhodiola rosea for rapid determination by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Ionic liquids with different cations and anions were investigated and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide solution was selected as the optimal extractant at concentration of 2.0 mol/L. Some extraction parameters such as ultrasonic power, extraction time, and extractant flow rate were optimized. The optimum separation conditions were as follows: ultrasonic power 360 W, extraction time 25 min, extractant flow rate 0.8 mL/min. The proposed approach was evaluated in comparison with the conventional maceration extraction and regular ultrasonic assisted extraction. UAE and SPT offered short extraction time, remarkable efficiency and low column pressure. Moreover, the proposed method was validated by the recovery and precision. Mean recoveries for rhodiosin and rhodionin were 98.5 and 98 %, respectively. The intra- and inter-day precision (RSD) was 1.59 and 2.98 % for rhodiosin and 1.78 and 2.05 % for rhodionin. UAE and SPT provided a new alternative for preparation of flavonoids compounds from solid sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fusion gene ( Bgl- licMB), encoding β-1,3-1,4-glucanase both from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ( Bgl) and Clostridium thermocellum ( licMB), was constructed via end-to-end fusion and expressed in Escherichia coli to improve hydrolytic activity and thermostability of β-1,3-1,4-glucanase. The results of enzymatic properties showed that the catalytic efficiency (K/K) of the fusion enzyme for oat β-glucan was 2.7 and 20-fold higher than that of the parental Bgl and licMB, respectively, and that the fusion enzyme can retain more than 50% of activity following incubation at 80°C for 30 min, whereas the residual activities of Bgl and licMB were both less than 30%. These properties make this particular β-1,3-1,4-glucanase a good candidate for application in brewing and animal-feed industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]