Search

Quinoa protein is increasingly being used a source of plant protein in the food industry because of its high nutrient value, good digestibility, and gluten-free nature. However, its widespread application in the food industry is currently restricted due to its poor water solubility and limited functionality. Controlled enzymatic hydrolysis can improve the functional attributes of plant proteins. Consequently, the objective of this study was to produce bioactive peptides from quinoa protein by enzymatic hydrolysis. The suitability of five commercial proteases were assessed for this purpose: alcalase, compound protease, neutral protease, flavourzyme, and papain. The antioxidant activity and digestion properties of the peptides produced were analyzed. Alcalase was the most efficient enzyme for treating quinoa protein, as it produced the highest degree of hydrolysis, nitrogen recovery rate, and antioxidant activity. Amino acid analysis indicated that quinoa peptides contained all the essential amino acids required for human nutrition, as well as a high level of hydrophobic amino acids, which may provide strong antioxidant activity. In vitro digestion analysis showed that the quinoa peptides exhibited strong resistance to hydrolysis in the stomach but were hydrolyzed in the small intestine. After simulated gastrointestinal digestion, the peptides still exhibited high antioxidant activity. This study therefore suggests that bioactive peptides derived from quinoa protein could be utilized as bioactive ingredients to formulate functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxicity, physicochemical stability, and bioaccessibility of lutein-loaded emulsions stabilized by egg white protein-dextran-catechin (EWP-Dex-EC) conjugates. The conjugates were developed using a two-step method involving free radical grafting combined with the Maillard reaction. Cytotoxicity analysis indicated that the conjugates were nontoxic and biocompatible. Changes in particle size, ζ-potential and lutein retention of the emulsions were determined to evaluate their physicochemical stability. Grafting dextran to the egg white protein improve the physical stability of the emulsions, which was attributed to an increase in steric repulsion between the protein-coated oil droplets. The attachment of catechin to the egg white proteins increased their interfacial antioxidant activity, which inhibited lutein degradation in the emulsions. The highest bioaccessibility of lutein was observed in the EWP-Dex-EC conjugate-stabilized emulsions, which was mainly attributed to the relatively smaller droplet size and stronger antioxidant activity. Our results suggest that the protein-polysaccharide-polyphenol conjugates formed in this study could be used as antioxidant emulsifiers to improve the physicochemical stability and bioavailability of lipophilic bioactives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects. But the directions of studies on the associations between air pollutants exposure and effect on the incidence of congenital heart disease (CHDs) were inconsistent. To date, few studies were concentrated on the effects of both particulate matter and gaseous air pollutant exposure on CHDs across the full gestational week simultaneously. Our study aimed to investigate the critical exposure windows for each air pollutant throughout 40 gestational weeks. Data on CHDs, air pollution, and meteorological factors from 2013 to 2019 were collected in Lanzhou, China. A distributed lag nonlinear model combined with a quasi-Poisson regression model was applied to evaluate the weekly exposure–lag–response association between air pollutants levels and CHDs, and the subgroup analyses were conducted by gender (baby boy and baby girl). The study included 1607 mother–infant pairs. The results demonstrated that exposure of pregnant women to particulate matter ≤ 5 μm (PM2.5) at lag 1–4 weeks was significantly associated with the risk of CHDs, and the strongest effects were observed in the lag 1 week (1.150, 95%CI 1.059–1.248). For exposure to particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) at lag 1–3 weeks, the strongest effects were observed in the lag 1 week (1.075, 95% CI 1.026–1.128). For exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) at lag 1–4 weeks, the strongest effects were observed in the lag 1 week (1.154, 95% CI 1.025–1.299). For exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) at lag 1–3 weeks, the strongest effects were observed in the lag 1 week (1.089, 95% CI 1.002–1.183). For exposure to ozone (O3) concentration at lag 9–15 weeks, the strongest effects were observed in the lag 15 weeks (1.628, 95% CI 1.001–2.649). The cumulative effects of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO along weeks with a maximum of 1.609 (95%CI 1.000–2.589), 1.286 (95%CI 1.007–1.641), 1.648 (95%CI 1.018–2.668), and 1.368 (95%CI 1.003, 1.865), respectively. The effects were obvious in the initial gestational weeks too. Through the gender stratification analysis, the air pollutants with significant effects were PM2.5 for baby boys and PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3 for baby girl. For the relationship between CHDs and air pollution in Lanzhou, PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, and O3 played an important role in the initial gestational weeks, especially for baby girl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high nutritional value and diverse functional properties of egg yolk proteins have led to its widespread use in the fields of food, medicine, and cosmetics. Various extraction methods have been reported to obtain the proteins from egg yolk, however, their utilization is limited due to the relatively low extraction efficiency and/or toxic solvents involved. Several simpler and greener technologies, especially physical fields (ultrasound), have been successfully developed to improve the extraction efficiency. The egg yolk proteins may exert multiple biological activities, enabling them to be a promising tool in improve human health and wellbeing, such as anti-obesity, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-osteoporosis, diagnosis and therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infections. This article summarizes the novel extraction technologies and latest applications of the egg yolk proteins in the recent 5 years, which should stimulate their utilization as health-promoting functional ingredients in foods and other commercial products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the immunomodulatory function of egg white peptides (EWP) was evaluated using RAW264.7 macrophage cells and an immunosuppressive BALB/c mice model. In vitro, 100 μg/mL EWP significantly increased cell viability and upregulated expression of immunomodulators (NO, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α) in RAW264.7 cells, which contributed to macrophage activation. In vivo, 150 mg/kg/day EWP alleviated splenomegaly and rebound thymic hyperplasia in BALB/c mice during recovery from immunosuppression. Numbers of white blood cells in peripheral blood and levels of cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α) in spleen tissue were significantly increased in mice given 150 mg/kg/day EWP. Spleen pathological changes and oxidation degree showed that EWP promoted the recovery of spleen tissue from immunosuppression and oxidation. Oligopeptides with common characteristics of immunomodulatory peptides might be responsible for the immunomodulatory function of EWP. Therefore, EWP may be considered as a natural immunomodulator that can help immune function recover from immunosuppressive state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have evaluated the association between air pollutants and neural tube defects (NTDs). Moreover, the existing research ignores the lag effect of air pollution on health and provides inconsistent epidemiological evidence. We aim to estimate the association between air pollution and NTDs during the first trimester of pregnancy and identify specific susceptible windows. Birth data was collected from the Birth Defects Surveillance Network in Lanzhou from September 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019. Air quality and meteorological data were collected from ambient air monitoring stations and China Meteorological Data Network. The log connection function of the Poisson distribution function is used to establish a DLNM model to estimate the exposure–effect relationship and exposure–lag relationship association between air pollutants levels and NTDs. There were 320,787 perinatal infants in Lanzhou from September 1, 2014, to December 31, 2019, and 486 cases of NTDs (1.5‰). The result indicates that exposure to inhalable particles (PM10) at lag 2–4 weeks was significantly associated with the risk of NTDs, with the most significant impact at the lag 2 week (RR=1.048, 95%CI, 1.015–1.084). Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at the lag 2 week was significantly associated with the risk of NTDs, with the most significant impact at the lag 2 week (RR=1.077, 95%CI, 1.004–1.155). Exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at lag 3–6weeks was significantly associated with the risk of NTDs, with the most significant impact at the lag 4 week (RR=1.220, 95%CI, 1.105–1.348; RR=1.143, 95%CI, 1.048–1.245). This study provides further evidence that exposure to air pollutants in the first trimester of pregnancy significantly increases the risk of neural tube defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egg white proteins (EWP) are effective emulsifiers that can be used to form and stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. However, our previous study found that EWP was more suitable as an emulsifier to prepare emulsions under acidic conditions. In contrast, the physical stability of emulsions stabilized by EWP was poor under neutral conditions. To address this issue, we grafted dextran (Dex) to EWP at different mass ratios (EWP/Dex: 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 10:1, w/w) using the Maillard reaction. The graft degree and molecular weight of the egg white proteins-dextran (EWP-Dex) conjugates increased with increasing mass ratio. The EWP molecules unfolded and exposed more hydrophobic groups during the conjugation process. Emulsions prepared using EWP-Dex conjugates, especially at a mass ratio of 1:1, exhibited better physical stability under neutral conditions than those prepared using protein alone. And they also exhibited stronger tolerance to changes in environmental conditions, including pH, salt, and temperature. Our results indicated that conjugation can be used to improve the functional performance of egg white proteins as an emulsifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeze–thaw egg yolk pellet (FYP) could be produced as a by-product in the process of egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) extraction. The FYP contained many superior nutritional components like fresh egg yolk, but it has poor functionalities because of protein denaturation resulted from freezing treatment during IgY extraction. For the purpose of comprehensive utilization of egg yolk resources, FYP was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis with alcalase to produce FYP hydrolysates (FYPh) with four enzyme concentrations of 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 U/g for improved functional properties. And then FYPh was spray dried to obtain hydrolyzed egg yolk pellet powder (HYP). Solubility, emulsifying property and surface hydrophobicity of HYP were investigated. The results showed that enzymatic hydrolysis could lead to noticeable changes in surface hydrophobicity, microstructure, solubility and emulsifying properties of HYP compared with the control group without enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. Solubility and emulsification stability index generally increased from 19 g/100 g, 12.33 to 87 g/100 g, 76.63 with increasing degree of hydrolyze, respectively. This study demonstrated that the functional properties of FYP could be effectively improved when the enzyme addition amount reached 1000 U/g. HYP prepared under this condition owes desirable solubility and emulsification, and has the potential of application in food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current studies on air pollutant exposure during pregnancy and orofacial clefts (OFCs) have inconsistent results, and few studies have investigated refined susceptible windows for OFCs. We aim to estimate association between air pollution and OFCs during the first trimester of pregnancy and identify specific susceptible windows. Birth data was obtained from Birth Defects Surveillance Network in Lanzhou from 2014 to 2019. Air pollution data and temperature data were obtained from ambient air monitoring stations and China Meteorological Data Network, respectively. A distribution lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was applied to estimate weekly-exposure-lag-response association between air pollutant levels and OFCs. The study included 320,787 perinatal infants from 2014 to 2019, of which 685 (2.14‰) were OFCs. The results demonstrated that exposure of pregnant women to aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) at lag 4–5 weeks was significantly associated with the risk of OFCs, with the greatest impact at the lag 4 week (RR = 1.029, 95% CI = 1.001–1.057). Exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) at lag 2–4 weeks was significantly associated with the risk of OFCs, with the greatest impact at the lag 3 week (RR = 1.096, 95% CI = 1.041–1.177). This study provides further evidence that exposure to air pollution increases the risk of OFCs in the first trimester of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malignant progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been confirmed to be mediated by a variety of factors, including circular RNA (circRNA). However, the role of circLPAR3 in OSCC development is still unclear. 70 paired OSCC tissues and normal control tissues were obtained from 70 OSCC patients. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of circLPAR3, microRNA (miR)-643, and high-mobility group box 2 (HMGB2). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis and stemness were assessed using cell counting kit 8 assay, colony-formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay and sphere formation assay. Marker protein expression and HMGB2 protein expression were determined by western blot analysis. The interaction between miR-643 and circLPAR3 or HMGB2 was confirmed by RNA pull-down assay, dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assay. The role of circLPAR3 in OSCC tumorigenesis was explored by constructing the xenograft models. Our data showed that circLPAR3 was highly expressed in OSCC tissues and cells. CircLPAR3 silencing suppressed OSCC cell proliferation, metastasis and stemness, while promoted apoptosis. On the mechanism, we discovered that circLPAR3 could sponge miR-643 to positive regulate HMGB2. MiR-643 overexpression had an inhibition effect on OSCC progression, and its inhibitor could reverse the negative regulation of circLPAR3 knockdown on OSCC progression. In addition, overexpressed HMGB2 also reversed the suppressive effect of circLPAR3 silencing on OSCC progression. Animal experiments results showed that downregulated circLPAR3 repressed OSCC tumorigenesis in vivo. Taken together, our data showed that circLPAR3 contributed to OSCC malignant progression through regulating the miR-643/HMGB2 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Under the background of urgent need for computer-aided technology to provide physicians with objective decision support, aiming at reducing the false positive rate of nodule CT detection in pulmonary nodules detection and improving the accuracy of lung nodule recognition, this paper puts forward a method based on ensemble learning to distinguish between malignant and benign pulmonary nodules. Methods: Firstly, trained on a public data set, a multi-layer feature fusion YOLOv3 network is used to detect lung nodules. Secondly, a CNN was trained to differentiate benign from malignant pulmonary nodules. Then, based on the idea of ensemble learning, the confidence probability of the above two models and the label of the training set are taken as data features to build a Logistic regression model. Finally, two test sets (public data set and private data set) were tested, and the confidence probability output by the two models was fused into the established logistic regression model to determine benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Results: The YOLOv3 network was trained to detect chest CT images of the test set. The number of pulmonary nodules detected in the public and private test sets was 356 and 314, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the two test sets were 80.97%, 81.63%, 78.75% and 79.69%, 86.59%, 72.16%, respectively. With CNN training pulmonary nodules benign and malignant discriminant model analysis of two kinds of test set, the result of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 90.12%, 90.66%, 89.47% and 88.57%, 85.62%, 90.87%, respectively. Fused model based on YOLOv3 network and CNN is tested on two test sets, and the result of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 93.82%, 94.85%, 92.59% and 92.31%, 92.68%, 91.89%, respectively. Conclusion: The ensemble learning model is more effective than YOLOv3 network and CNN in removing false positives, and the accuracy of the ensemble. Learning model is higher than the other two networks in identifying pulmonary nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplasmas are important plant pathogens that affect crops, bushes, and trees. Wheat blue dwarf (WBD) phytoplasma is transmitted by the leafhopper Psammotettix striatus, with infection resulting in severe losses in wheat yield in Northwest China. Immunodominant membrane protein (Imp) potentially plays a crucial role in phytoplasma transmission, although the mechanisms of WBD phytoplasma transmission has not yet been elucidated. In this study, the interaction between α-tubulin and Imp was confirmed by a split-ubiquitin membrane yeast two-hybrid assay, and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) assay. Co-expression of mNeonGreen-Imp and mScarlet-α-tubulin fusion proteins in the baculovirus expression vector system (BEVS) showed that Imp colocalizes with α-tubulin in the cytoplasm of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells near the cell membrane. Suppression of α-tubulin transcription by RNA interference (RNAi) decreased the transmission efficiency of the WBD phytoplasma. Results of this study show that Imp employs α-tubulin to promote transmission of WBD phytoplasma via leafhopper. To our knowledge, this is the first report that describes the molecular interactions between the WBD phytoplasma and leafhopper. These results may help elucidate the mechanisms governing transmission of phytoplasma by its insect vector and provide a candidate target gene for controlling spread of WBD phytoplasma in the field using the RNAi approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study, three different procedures were used for preparation of egg white protein (E) and egg white protein fibrous microparticle (EM) complex emulsions, to modify the interfacial and aqueous composition. According to the adding order of EM and E during emulsification, the emulsions were named as type I (EM and E mixed firstly, followed by emulsification), type II (emulsified with EM firstly, followed by the addition of E) and type III (emulsified with EM firstly, followed by the addition of E). The particle size, creaming stability at various salt concentration, elastic module (G'), and lipid oxidation degree were investigated. The results showed that, EM at interface is beneficial for improving salt resistance of the complex emulsions, while E was more effective in terms of preventing oxidation of oil, attributed to the possibility to form continuous elastic interface film. The type III complex emulsion at EM:E ratio of 2:1 showed both improved creaming and oxidation stability, behaving the potential to be used as carrier of lipo-nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the stability of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) in the model system and folate-enriched egg yolk and strategies for 5-MTHF stabilization were investigated. The oxygen, temperature and light affect the stability of 5-MTHF in the model system, among which oxygen is the main factor. In thermal pasteurization and spray-drying with normal air media, 5-MTHF is sensitive to oxidation, with the retention rate of blank group only reaching 74.96% ± 1.28%. The addition of vitamin C or vitamin E can protect 5-MTHF in egg yolk from degradation and the latter has a better protective effect. By adding 0.2% (w/v) vitamin E to egg yolk liquid, the retention rate of 5-MTHF during thermal pasteurization and spray-drying with normal air media were 94.16% ± 0.48% and 84.80% ± 0.82% respectively. Additionally, the spray-drying technique with inert gas media (N2) was also an effective method to improve the stability of the 5-MTHF in egg yolk. Our study explored the factors affecting the stability of 5-MTHF in both model systems and egg yolk liquid and provided effective strategies for the protection of 5-MTHF during the processing of egg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oleogels based on three different oils (sunflower oil, solid coconut oil and liquid coconut oil) were formulated using β-sitosterol. In general, an observed increase in crystallinity was correlated with an increase in the gel storage modulus and hardness. Addition of lecithin promoted the formation of needle-like crystals of β-sitosterol with a corresponding increase in strain tolerance and oil-trapping capacity for oleogels produced with liquid oils. However, the incorporation of β-sitosterol crystals with or without lecithin into oleogels containing solid coconut oil reduced its strain tolerance by interrupting the formation of continual radiolitic crystal structures. The use of sunflower oil (long chain fatty acids) was more favourable to the packing and growth of gelator crystals and the formation of an elastic gel, in comparison to liquid coconut oil (short chain fatty acids). Overall, the type and physical state of oil influence the formation of oil crystal network, thus affecting its gel properties. These findings allow the better understanding of β-sitosterol-based oleogels, providing opportunity to design for the application as a fat-replacer and lowering solid fat content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to propose a deployment optimization method based on IEEE 802.11 heterogeneous wireless mesh networks (WMNs) for the condition monitoring system (CMS) of wind turbines. This method can provide a flexible, low-cost, and easy-to-implement network framework for wind farms in harsh environments, thereby avoiding interference of the newly installed CMS on the communication network of the SCADA system. The K-medoids clustering algorithm transforms the continuous space location problem into the discrete space location problem. Moreover, the mesh client (MC) coverage and backbone network connectivity issues are considered to ensure that the generated candidate point set can meet the coverage and connectivity requirements without generating numerous redundant nodes. Firstly, according to the characteristics of the model, the K-medoids clustering algorithm is used to obtain a set of candidate points of mesh routers (MRs) that meet the coverage rate. Secondly, a reasonable connection algorithm is proposed according to the constraints, and the optimal deployment is selected from the candidate points. Thirdly, taking the number of hops from MR to MG and the priority of MC as the weight. The path planning with the least number of MRs and load balancing is obtained by constructing a minimum spanning tree (MST) based on the improved Kruskal algorithm. Finally, Multi-channel inter-frequency networking technology is adopted to reduce interference between co-channels and between adjacent channels. The result shows that the method proposed can minimize network operating costs, meet the capacity requirements of MC, and reduce link losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of different oils on the rheological properties, textural profile, water loss (WL), oil loss (OL) and microstructure of egg-soybean protein isolate (SPI) stabilized emulsion gels were investigated at neutral pH, wherein soybean oil, olive oil and menhaden oil were used to form emulsions. The results showed that viscosity of emulsions progressively increased with the increase of oil content. Similarly, analysis of the rheological behavior of the formulated emulsion gels revealed an increase in the mechanical strength (G') with the increase in oil concentration, indicating that oil droplets played a significant role in the formation of the gel structure. In addition, at high levels of oil, the hardness and chewiness of emulsion gels were also high, while a slight decrease in springiness and cohesiveness were observed. A linear relationship between hardness and water/oil loss was found, whereas the Pearson correlation suggested that less drainage of water may slow down the outflow of oil. The microstructural images showed a more compact network as a result of the increase of oil content in the formulation. Scarce significant differences were found among emulsion gels formulated with different oil type, suggesting oil composition played a dispensable role on the gelling properties of emulsion gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is responsible for algal growth and the structural changes in algal communities. Therefore, it is essential to know whether the different phosphorus availability to different algae can change the community structure. In this study, the interspecific competition was investigated at two bloom-forming cyanobacterium, Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Microcystis aeruginosa, when both were treated with five different phosphate compounds, including K2HPO4, β-glycerol phosphate, (2-aminoethyl)-phosphinic acid, glyphosate, and P-free. The results of mono-culture experiments showed that the two species could utilize the dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and K2HPO4 (DIP) as the sole P resource. Moreover, the specific growth rates and the endogenous alkaline phosphatase activity in M. aeruginosa cells were much lower than those in C. raciborskii under DOP and DIP treatments. In the co-cultured experiments, however, a significant biomass increase in C. raciborskii was observed in all experimental P treatments, except for glyphosate, regardless of its initial cell density proportion. A 31.8–63.4% increase in cell number of C. raciborskii was found after incubated into K2HPO4, while the highest biomass of mixed samples, 17.72 × 106 cell mL−1, was observed in the (2-aminoethyl)-phosphinic acid treatment (50C50M). Additionally, higher specific growth rate was also found in C. raciborskii when compared with M. aeruginosa under P-free; the increasing proportion of C. raciborskii were 29.1% (50C50M), 16.4% (75C25M), and 36.7% (25C75M), respectively. When the mixed samples were co-cultivated under glyphosate, C. raciborskii cells appeared to be depressed, whereas the cell density of M. aeruginosa increased rapidly. The findings indicated that an excellent P competition might give some advantages for C. raciborskii dominance in natural waters with DIP limitation or DOP abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The ability to use dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) is important for survival and competition when phytoplankton are faced with scarcity of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP). However, phosphorus availability to the freshwater dinoflagellate Peridinium bipes has received relatively little attention, the efficiency of glycerol phosphate use by phytoplankton has rarely been investigated, and the regulatory molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Result: In the present study, cultures of the freshwater dinoflagellate Peridinium bipes were set up in 119 medium (+DIP), DIP-depleted 119 medium (P-free), and β-glycerol phosphate-replacing-DIP medium (+DOP). Gene expression was analyzed using transcriptomic sequencing. The growth rate of cells in DOP treatment group was similar to that in DIP group, but chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters RC/CS0, ABS/CS0, TR0/CS0, ET0/CS0 and RE0/CS0 markedly decreased in the DOP group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that genes involved in photosynthesis, including psbA, psbB, psbC, psbD, psaA and psaB, were downregulated in the DOP group relative to the DIP group. Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, rather than alkaline phosphatase, were responsible for β-glycerol phosphate use. Intercellular gluconeogenesis metabolism was markedly changed in the DOP group. In addition, genes involved in ATP synthases, the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid metabolism and amino acid metabolism in P. bipes were significantly upregulated in the DOP group compared with the DIP treatment. Conclusions: These findings suggested that β-glycerol phosphate could influence the photosynthesis and metabolism of P. bipes, which provided a comprehensive understanding of the phosphorus physiology of P. bipes. The mechanisms underlying the use of β-glycerol phosphate and other DOPs are different in different species of dinoflagellates and other phytoplankton. DIP reduction may be more effective in controlling the bloom of P. bipes than DOP reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat treatment is an indispensable processing step of seasoned liquid egg. The effects of preheat treatment (60–75 °C) on gel properties of liquid whole egg (LWE) at different NaCl concentrations (0–3%, w/w) were investigated to provide guidance for the production of salty LWE. Results showed that LWE exhibited higher particle size after heating, with coincidental increases in surface hydrophobicity and decreases in protein solubility. While LWE with NaCl added exhibited increase in protein solubility and decrease in particle size of aggregates. Electrophoresis and optical microscopy showed that NaCl would induce the transformation of egg granules from insoluble form to soluble form, inhibiting the aggregation of LWE proteins during preheat treatment, reflected by the reduced particle size. The analysis of gel aggregated force and texture indicated that NaCl addition and preheat treatment can improve gelling properties of LWE synergistically by strengthening the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-performance temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) is presented. This paper proposes a new temperature sensor with a Σ–Δ analog to digital converter, and a voltage-controlled crystal oscillator, respectively, using two sets of independent power supply. The presented TCXO is implemented in a 0.35 μm 2P3 M standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process at a power supply of 3.3 V, and the total power dissipation is 21 mW. Measurement results indicate that the designed TCXO achieves ± 16 ppm output frequency tuning range and 135, − 141 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1, 10 kHz frequency offset, respectively, by using a 40 MHz fundamental AT-cut crystal resonator. With the temperature compensation, the frequency deviation is within ± 0.28 ppm over − 40 °C to 85 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a refractory disease; one of the most important goals of treatment is to improve fertility. In the study, collagen scaffold loaded with human umbilical cord–derived mesenchymal stem cells (collagen/UC-MSCs) transplantation in POF mice preserved ovarian function, as supported by increased estrogen (E2) and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels, increased ovarian volume, and an increased number of antral follicles. Immunohistochemistry results of Ki67 indicated transplantation of collagen/UC-MSCs promoted granulosa cell proliferation, which is crucial to oocyte maturation and follicular development. Additionally, transplantation of collagen/UC-MSCs significantly promoted ovarian angiogenesis with the increased expression of CD31. In general, collagen/UC-MSCs transplantation probably is an effective therapeutic strategy of POF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a refractory disease for clinical treatment with the goal of restoring fertility. In this study, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on a collagen scaffold (collagen/UC-MSCs) can activate primordial follicles in vitro via phosphorylation of FOXO3a and FOXO1. Transplantation of collagen/UC-MSCs to the ovaries of POF patients rescued overall ovarian function, evidenced by elevated estradiol concentrations, improved follicular development, and increased number of antral follicles. Successful clinical pregnancy was achieved in women with POF after transplantation of collagen/UC-MSCs or UC-MSCs. In summary, collagen/UC-MSC transplantation may provide an effective treatment for POF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of bisphenol A (BPA) on Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (Cyanobacteria) and Scenedesmus quadricauda (Chlorophyta), we grew the two species at BPA concentrations of 0, 0.1, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L and examined their growth, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzyme activity, and chlorophyll a fluorescence. The 96-h EC50 values (effective concentration causing 50% growth inhibition) for BPA in C. raciborskii and S. quadricauda were 9.663 ± 0.047, and 13.233 ± 0.069 mg/L, respectively. A significant reduction in chlorophyll a concentration was found in C. raciborskii and S. quadricauda when BPA concentrations were greater than 1 and 2 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, Fv/Fm, ΔF/Fm′, and qP decreased significantly at 10 mg/L BPA in C. raciborskii but started to decrease at 10 mg/L in S. quadricauda. The changes in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (α, rETRmax) that were obtained from the rapid light response curves of both algae species showed similar responses to Fv/Fm, ΔF/Fm′, and qP under BPA-induced stress. Values for all of the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in S. quadricauda were higher than in C. raciborskii; however, the nonphotochemical quenching measured in C. raciborskii was considerably higher than it was in S. quadricauda. In addition, lipid peroxidation (determined as MDA content) and antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD and CAT) increased in both species as the BPA concentration increased. These results suggest that C. raciborskii is more sensitive to the effects of BPA than S. quadricauda and that photosystem II might be a target for the activity of BPA in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxin receptors TIR1/AFBs play an essential role in a series of signaling network cascades. These F-box proteins have also been identified to participate in different stress responses via the auxin signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) is one of the most important crops worldwide, which is also a model plant for research. In the study herein, two cucumber homologous auxin receptor F-box genes CsTIR and CsAFB were cloned and studied for the first time. The deduced amino acid sequences showed a 78% identity between CsTIR and AtTIR1 and 76% between CsAFB and AtAFB2. All these proteins share similar characteristics of an F-box domain near the N-terminus, and several Leucine-rich repeat regions in the middle. Arabidopsis plants ectopically overexpressing CsTIR or CsAFB were obtained and verified. Shorter primary roots and more lateral roots were found in these transgenic lines with auxin signaling amplified. Results showed that expression of CsTIR/ AFB genes in Arabidopsis could lead to higher seeds germination rates and plant survival rates than wild-type under salt stress. The enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic plants is probably caused by maintaining root growth and controlling water loss in seedlings, and by stabilizing life-sustaining substances as well as accumulating endogenous osmoregulation substances. We proposed that CsTIR/AFB-involved auxin signal regulation might trigger auxin mediated stress adaptation response and enhance the plant salt stress resistance by osmoregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transglutaminase (TGase) and succinylation could modify the physicochemical characteristics and the functional properties of proteins. The aim of this work was to cross-link egg white protein (EWP) and succinylated casein with TGase and to assess the feasibility of making a novel composite protein film. The effects of succinylated casein content, reaction time, and TGase concentration on the mechanical properties, physical characteristics (thermal property and degree of crystallinity), and structure properties (secondary structure and surface micrograph structure) of the film were investigated in this study. The results revealed that the susceptibility of EWP to TGase-mediated cross-linking modification was enhanced by succinylated casein. Meanwhile, the films with TGase were more homogeneous and smoother and possessed better water resistance and thermal stability. The content of α-helix, β-turn structures were increased whereas β-sheet structure was decreased. The spatial conformation and degree of crystallinity of composite protein film were also affected by TGase. The increase of the degree of crystallinity of the composite film further proved the improvement of film mechanical properties induced by TGase and succinylated casein. Based on the above results, this study provides relevant data and insights for the TGase/chemical modification of protein-based edible films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidation of unsaturated lipids commonly occurs at oil-water interfaces in heterogeneous foods (such as emulsions), and so there is a need for surface-active antioxidants to inhibit lipid oxidation. In this study, catechin was oxidatively polymerized by horseradish peroxidase to obtain catechin polymers (CTP). An amphiphilic antioxidant was then produced by conjugating CTP with egg white proteins (EWP) using a hydrogen peroxide-ascorbic acid pair as a radical initiator system. The covalent attachment of CTP to EWP was confirmed by electrophoresis, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and fluorescence analyses. The antioxidant capacity of CTP-EWP conjugates was evaluated using several in vitro models. The conjugates exhibited strong scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (79% at 1 mg/mL), 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (97% at 0.5 mg/mL), and had a high ferric reducing power. Furthermore, CTP-EWP conjugates exhibited an inhibitive effect on lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid oil-in-water emulsions, indicating that the conjugates may have potential applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury ion (Hg), known as one of the highly toxic and soluble heavy metal ions, is causing serious environmental pollution and irreversible damage to the health. It is urgent to develop some rapid and ultrasensitive methods for detecting trace mercury ions in the environment especially drink water. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is considered as a novel and powerful optical analysis technique since it has the significant advantages of ultra-sensitivity and high specificity. In recent years, the SERS technique and its application in the detection of Hg have become more prevalent and compelling. This review provides an overall survey of the development of SERS-based Hg detections and presents a summary relating to the basic principles, detection strategies, recent advances and current challenges of SERS for Hg detections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a novel family of calmodulin-binding transcription activators (CAMTAs) has been reported in various species. The CAMTAs share a conserved domain organization, with a CG-1 DNA-binding domain, a transcription factor immunoglobulin domain, several ankyrin repeats, a calmodulin-binding domain, and a varying number of IQ motifs. CAMTAs participate in transcriptional regulation by recognizing and binding to a specific cis-element: (G/A/C) CGCG(C/G/T). Plants suffer from the environmental challenges, including abiotic and biotic stresses. Investigations in various plant species indicate a broad range of CAMTA functions involved in developmental regulation, environmental stress response, and hormone cross talk. In this review, we focus on the expression patterns and biological functions of CAMTAs to explore their probable applications in biotechnology. Furthermore, the identification and phylogenetic analysis of CAMTAs in crops could open new perspectives for enhancing stress tolerance, which could lead to improved crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The response and detoxification mechanisms of three freshwater phytoplankton species (the cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, the green alga Pediastrum simplex, and the diatom Synedra acus) to cadmium (Cd) were investigated. The cell growth of each species was measured over 10 days, and chlorophyll a fluorescence, Cd bioaccumulation (including surface-adsorbed and intracellular Cd), and phytochelatin (PC) synthesis were determined after 96-h exposures. The growth of the three phytoplankton species was significantly inhibited when Cd concentrations were ≥5 mg L. Compared with P. simplex, greater growth inhibition in S. acus and A. flos-aquae occurred. The changes in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters including the maximal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) and relative variable fluorescence of the J point (Vj) demonstrated that the increase in Cd concentration damaged PSII in all three species. After 96-h exposures, the accumulation of surface-adsorbed Cd and intracellular Cd increased significantly in all three species, with the increase of Cd concentrations in the media; total cadmium accumulation was 245, 658, and 1670 times greater than that of the control in A. flos-aquae, P. simplex, and S. acus, respectively, after exposure to 10 mg L. Total thiols exhibited a similar trend to that of Cd accumulation. PC was found in A. flos-aquae and P. simplex in all Cd treatments. Glutathione (GSH) and PC were also produced in response to exposure to high concentrations of Cd. PC was only discovered at exposure concentrations of 10 mg L Cd and only in S. acus. The intracellular Cd/PCs ratio increased in all three phytoplankton with an increase in Cd concentrations, and a linear relationship between the ratio and the growth inhibition rates was observed with P. simplex and S. acus. Our results have demonstrated that metal detoxification mechanisms were dependent on the species. This study suggested that the variance of metal detoxification strategies, such as cadmium accumulation and PCs, might be an explanation why algal species have different sensitivity to Cd at various levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency is one of the most serious nutrient limiting factors that affect rice plant growth and photosynthesis. Several phytohormones, including auxin, participate in iron uptake and homeostasis. However, how auxin signaling is involved in iron deficiency-induced inhibition of shoot growth and photosynthetic efficiency is largely unknown. The Nipponbare (NIP) seedlings displayed typical chlorotic symptoms, biomass reduction and photosynthesis depression when subjected to iron deficiency. We measured the soluble Fe content in the shoots under different conditions. The soluble Fe content in the shoots under Fe deficiency was increased by 1-naphthoxyaceticacids (1-NOA) treatment and was decreased by 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) treatment. Blocking (1-NOA treatment) or enhancement (NAA treatment) of auxin signaling also affects photosynthetic parameters under Fe deficiency conditions. Furthermore, rice microarray data (GSE17245 and GSE39429) were used to analyze the relationship between iron deficiency responses and auxin signaling in shoots. Most iron deficiency response gene expression levels in the shoots increased under exogenous auxin treatment, and most auxin early response gene expression levels responded to iron deficiency. It suggested that there is a crosstalk between iron deficiency signaling and auxin signaling. Our results indicated that iron deciencyinduced growth inhibition and photosynthesis depression were mediated by systemic auxin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel process for effective separation of phospholipids, triacylglycerol and cholesterol from fresh egg yolk has been developed and validated in this study. Ethanol was the only organic solvent used in the whole procedure. Following initial separation of protein and total lipids by ethanol, most of solidified triacylglycerol was removed from total lipids by low temperature treatment of ethanol extracts within 10 h. Then, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was used to remove cholesterol from the remaining ethanol extracts and recycling of β-CD was also studied to obtain cholesterol and reusable β-CD powder. The highest cholesterol removal rate of nearly 99 % was obtained at β-CD: cholesterol molar ratio of 5:1, water addition of 15 g/g β-CD and reacting temperature of 50 °C. Ethanol in residual ethanol extracts was removed for obtaining phospholipids by rotary evaporation. The phospholipids produced in this procedure without cholesterol could be safety used as emulsifiers in food or cosmetic industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a high-performance differential coupled frequency doubling voltage-controlled crystal oscillator (VCXO). Frequency doubling and low phase noise are realized through a novel g-boosted differential Colpitts oscillator. Distributed varactor arrays are used to obtain wide frequency tuning range and high tuning linearity simultaneously. The proposed VCXO is fabricated in a 0.35 μm 2P3M standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process at a supply voltage of 3.3 V, and the power dissipation is 7 mW. Measurement results show that the designed VCXO achieves ±135 ppm output frequency variation range with 5 % linearity and −133 dBc/Hz phase noise at 1 kHz frequency offset by using a 40 MHz fundamental AT-cut crystal resonator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of cadmium on the cyanobacterium Aphanizomenon flos- aquae, the green alga Pediastrum simplex and the diatom Synedra acus was evaluated on the basis of growth rate, chlorophyll a fluorescence, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activity. The EC values (effective concentration inducing 50 % of growth inhibition) of cadmium in A. flos- aquae, P. simplex and S. acus were 1.18 ± 0.044, 4.32 ± 0.068 and 3.7 ± 0.055 mg/L, respectively. The results suggested that cadmium stress decreases growth rate and chlorophyll a concentration. The normalized chlorophyll a fluorescence transients significantly increased at cadmium concentrations of 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg/L, but slightly decreased at concentrations of 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L. The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters showed considerable variation among the three species, while lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities showed a significant increase. Our results demonstrated that blockage of electron transport on the acceptor side of photosystem II is the mechanism responsible for cadmium toxicity in freshwater microalgae, and that the tolerance of the three species to cadmium was in the order green alga P. simplex > diatom S. acus > cyanobacterium A. flos- aquae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the CXC chemokine receptor 7 (CXCR7) and its ligand CCL21 have been extensively reported to be associated with tumorigenesis. Meanwhile, Slug signaling induces the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in chondrosarcoma development. In the present study, we explored the functions of CCL21/CXCR7 in Slug-mediated EMT in the chondrosarcoma. We analyzed protein expression of CXCR7 and Slug in human chondrosarcoma samples. Effects of CXCR7 on chondrosarcoma cells were assessed by in vitro assays. Additionally, CXCR7 pathways were further investigated by pharmacological and genetic approaches. We found that the altered CXCR7 (81.7 %) and Slug (85.0 %) expression in human chondrosarcoma tissues were significantly associated with grade, recurrence, and 5-year overall survival. According to in vitro assays, CCL21 stimulation induced the expression of phosph-ERK, phosph-AKT, Slug and N-cadherin in SW1353 cells, while the expression of E-cadherin was down-regulated. Furthermore, Slug signaling modulated E- to N-cadherin switch, which was influenced by the kinase inhibitor PD98059 and LY294002. In addition, the genetic silencing of Slug inhibited the capacity of migration and invasion of SW1353 cells. In conclusion, CCL21/CXCR7 pathway activates ERK and PI3K/AKT signallings to up-regulate Slug pathway, leading to the occurrence of EMT process in human chondrosarcoma. This study lays a new foundation for molecule-targeted therapy of human chondrosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gel properties and secondary structures of soybean protein isolate/egg white composite gels with different blend ratios and protein concentrations were investigated in this paper. The hardness, springiness and water-holding capacity of composite gels were all increased with the increase in the protein concentrations. When total protein concentration was above 0.03 g mL, the soybean protein isolate/egg white proteins blended in ratio of 1:1 showed higher enhancement in springiness and water-holding capacity. The hardness and storage modulus of gels increased gradually with the increase in egg white in the composite gels. The content of α-helical structures of the gels were increased firstly and then decreased, whereas the content of β-sheet was increased gradually with the increase in egg white ratio. The tendencies of α-helical and β-sheet were in accordance with springiness and hardness of gels, respectively. The microstructure investigations showed that gels formed an even structure with less large particles at the soybean protein isolate/egg white ratio of 1:1, which was related to the higher springiness and water-holding capacity. The relationship between changes in the protein structure and the texture properties could be used to design product systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxin plays a pivotal role in the regulation of plant growth and development by controlling the expression of auxin response genes rapidly. As one of the major auxin early response gene families, Gretchen Hagen 3 ( GH3) genes are involved in auxin homeostasis by conjugating excess auxins to amino acids. However, how GH3 genes function in environmental stresses and rhizobial infection responses in Medicago truncatula are largely unknown. Here, based on the latest updated M. truncatula genome, a comprehensive identification and expression profiling analysis of MtGH3 genes were performed. Our data showed that most of MtGH3 genes were expressed in tissue-specific manner and were responsive to environmental stress-related hormones. To understand the possible roles of MtGH3 genes involved in symbiosis establishment between M. truncatula and symbiotic bacteria, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to test the expressions of MtGH3 genes during the early phase of Sinorhizobium meliloti infection. The expression levels of most MtGH3 genes were upregulated in shoots and downregulated in roots by S. meliloti infection. The differences in expression responses to S. meliloti infection between roots and shoots were in agreement with the results of free indoleacetic acid (IAA) content measurements. The identification and expression analysis of MtGH3 genes at the early phase of S. meliloti infection may help us to understand the role of GH3-mediated IAA homeostasis in the regulation of nodule formation in model legumes M. truncatula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ribosomal protein L2, a constituent protein of the 50S large ribosomal subunit, can be used as Si-tag using silica particles for the immobilization and purification of recombinant proteins (Ikeda et al. (Protein Expr Purif 71:91-95, ); Taniguchi et al. (Biotechnol Bioeng 96:1023-1029, )). We applied a diatomite powder, a sedimentary rock mainly composed with diatoms silica, as an affinity solid phase and small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) technology to release a target protein from the solid phase. The L2 (203-273) was the sufficient region for the adsorption of ribosomal protein L2 on diatomite. We comparatively analyzed the different adsorption properties of the two deleted proteins of L2 (L2 (1-60, 203-273) and L2 (203-273)) on diatomite. The time required to reach adsorption equilibrium of L2 (203-273) fusion protein on diatomite was shorter than that of L2 (1-60, 203-273) fusion protein. The maximum adsorption capacity of L2 (203-273) fusion protein was larger than that of L2 (1-60, 203-273) fusion protein. In order to study whether the L2 (203-273) can function as an affinity purification tag, SUMO was introduced as one specific protease cleavage site between the target protein and the purification tags. The L2 (203-273) and SUMO fusion protein purification method was tested using enhanced green fluorescent protein as a model protein; the result shows that the purification performance of this affinity purification method was good. The strong adsorption characteristic of L2 (203-273) on diatomite also provides a potential protein fusion tag for the immobilization of enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full-length complementary DNA (cDNA) of Auxyn11D, a gene that encodes a novel endo-β-1,4- d-xylanase of Aspergillus usamii E001 (abbreviated to AuXyn11D), was obtained using 3′- and 5′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) methods. The cDNA sequence is 855 bp in length, containing 5′- and 3′-untranslated regions and a 696-bp open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a 32-aa signal peptide and a 199-aa mature peptide (namely AuXyn11D). Multiple homology alignment of amino acid sequences verified that AuXyn11D belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 11. Moreover, a mature peptide-encoding cDNA fragment of Auxyn11D was cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. One P. pastoris transformant expressing the highest recombinant AuXyn11D (reAuXyn11D) activity of 15.0 U/mL, labeled as P. pastoris GSAuXyn4-16, was chosen by shake flask test. SDS-PAGE assay demonstrated that the reAuXyn11D, a glycosylated protein with an apparent molecular mass of 32.0 kDa, was secreted into the medium. The purified reAuXyn11D displayed the highest activity at pH 4.5 and 55 °C. It was stable at a pH range of 3.5-6.5 and at a temperature of 50 °C or below. Its activity was not significantly affected by most of metal ions tested and EDTA, but increased by Ca and inhibited by Mn. The K and V of the reAuXyn11D towards birchwood xylan were 6.32 mg/mL and 391.6 U/mg, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypocrellins, including hypocrellin A and hypocrellin B, are natural red pigments isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine. The present work was designed to investigate the influence of dietary HA supplementations on the colour and emulsifying properties of egg yolk and HA distributions in tissues of laying hens. A Chinese hen breed (black-bone silky fowl) was used. Ninety-six layers were assigned randomly to diets containing 0, 10, 30 and 50 mg HA per kilogram for 21 days. HA concentrations in egg yolk and tissues of laying hens such as ovary, liver, lung, heart, gizzard and breast muscle were determined by HPLC. Dietary HA supplementations improved the colour of egg yolk ( P < 0.05), whereas no significant differences ( P > 0.05) in the emulsifying properties of egg yolk were observed. There was a dose-dependent manner increase in egg yolk HA content in response to dietary HA supplementations ( P < 0.05). The highest HA concentration was measured in ovary followed by liver and egg yolk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypocrellin A (HA) is a naturally occurring perylenequinone pigment with bright red colour. The inclusion complex of HA with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was prepared successfully by lyophilization method for the first time. Phase solubility studies indicated that the inclusion complex was formed with possible stoichiometry of 1:1. The apparent stability constants and the thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change (∆ H), entropy change (∆ S) and Gibbs free energy (∆ G) were calculated in the range of 25–45 °C. The values of apparent stability constants decrease with the increasing of temperature. The thermodynamic results showed that the inclusion process was an exothermic and enthalpy-driven process accompanied with a negative entropic contribution. The formation of inclusion complex was also conformed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry and spectroscopic studies. The inclusion complex showed much better water solubility and dissolution property than the free HA. Therefore, the inclusion complex can be used to expand the application of HA in food, feed and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]