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Procyanidins (PC) are formed by the polymerisation of flavan-3-ol monomers, which have excellent bioactivity and present great health benefits. However, the application range of the PC is greatly limited due to their poor stability. Therefore, in this study, starch aerogels were used as carriers to encapsulate PC. After screening, wheat starch aerogel (WSA) was finally chosen to encapsulate PC. Afterward, characterization (SEM, XRD, FT-IR, TGA and BET), stability testing, investigations on antioxidant activity, and in vitro tests simulating digestion were carried out. The results of relevant characterization showed that the micro surface structure of the procyanidin wheat starch aerogel (PC-WSA) presented a network structure, and PC were encapsulated in WSA. In addition, PC-WSA allows PC to be released in the final stage of simulated digestion. Meanwhile, the results of antioxidant experiments indicate that PC-WSA exhibits antioxidant activity after encapsulating PC. Moreover, the retention of PC in PC-WSA was still 53.63 ± 3.23% when stored at 70 °C for 20 days. After 6 days of light exposure, the retention of PC in PC-WSA under different light sources was all above 85%, which was higher than that of PC. In conclusion, the wheat starch aerogel could improve the stability of PC and has great potential for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phillyrin has good biological activity, but it is insoluble in water, which restricts its use in various industries. In our work, we prepared phillyrin using a green and rapid method from Forsythia suspensa leaves, and its purity is greater than 93%. Then, phillyrin was made to interact with different kinds of cyclodextrins (CDs) as a way to improve the water solubility of phillyrin, and the interaction mechanism between CDs and phillyrin was speculated by various characterization methods. First, phase solubility experiments showed that the phase solubility curves of all three CD inclusion complexes were AL-shaped, indicating that all three inclusion complexes were prepared using phillyrin with CDs in a 1 : 1 stoichiometric ratio. And based on this result, three cyclodextrin inclusion compounds, phillyrin/HP-β-CD (complexation efficiency (CE): 82.58%, the loading efficiency (LE): 22.27%), phillyrin/DM-β-CD IC (CE: 89.31%, LE: 24.83%) and phillyrin/β-CD IC (CE: 68.59%, LE: 23.67%), were prepared. Then, phillyrin was successfully encapsulated as determined by various characterization analyses, after which the conformations of the inclusion complex interactions were analyzed by NMR and molecular docking. The result also indicated that the water solubility of the phillyrin/HP-β-CD, phillyrin/DM-β-CD IC and phillyrin/β-CD IC has significantly improved, which was 30.02, 41.91 and 14.56 times higher than that of pure phillyrin. And the inclusion of CDs also considerably improved the antioxidant capacity of phillyrin, and the DPPH clearance rates of the three inclusion compounds were 4.34, 4.46 and 4.79 times higher than those of pure phillyrin, respectively, and the ABTS clearance rates were 1.35, 1.70 and 1.62 times higher than that of pure phillyrin. The prepared inclusion complexes can be applied in the functional food industry as active ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cistanche deserticola has recently been included in the category of food. In this study, the physical and chemical attributes and antioxidant capacity of six kinds of C. deserticola powders prepared by jet milling were discussed. With the decrease of particle size, the specific surface areas of C. deserticol powders had increased significantly (from 0.040 ± 0.0060 to 0.86 ± 0.030 m2·g−1). The repose angles and slide angles (from 18.43 ± 1.15° to 34.21 ± 1.72° and 27.38 ± 1.72° to 35.80 ± 1.49°, respectively), water and oil holding capacities (from 2.40 ± 0.11 to 1.23 ± 0.12 g/g, 0.73 ± 0.12 to 1.39 ± 0.11 g/g, respectively) of superfine C. deserticola powders were compared with coarse powders. Superfine grinding promoted the dissolution of active substances, such as the dissolution of phenylethanol glycoside increased from 0.15% to 2.11%. The ultrafine powders of C. deserticola show great potential in food industry, such as health foods and dietary foods, extending the application of C. deserticola. Practical Applications: Cistanche deserticola have recently been included into food catalogue and the ultrafine particles of C. deserticola would be widely used in food industry. Therefore, to understand the physico‐chemical and antioxidant properties are very necessary, which could be conducive to improve their application. The study showed that the ultrafine powders of C. deserticola have better physico‐chemical and antioxidant properties than coarse powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a green process of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-assisted extraction of active ingredients from Forsythia suspensa leaves was developed. Firstly, the optimal process of extraction was as follows: the ratio between Forsythia suspensa leaves and β-CD was 3.61:5, the solid–liquid ratio was 1:36.3, the temperature was 75.25 °C and the pH was 3.94. The yields of forsythoside A, phillyrin and phillygenol were 11.80 ± 0.141%, 5.49 ± 0.078% and 0.319 ± 0.004%, respectively. Then, the structure characteristics of the β-CD-assisted extract of Forsythia suspensa leaves (FSE-β-CD) were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular docking to demonstrate that the natural active products from Forsythia suspensa leaves had significant interactions with the β-CD. Additionally, the loss of forsythoside A from aqueous FSE-CD at 80 °C was only 12%, compared with Forsythia suspensa leaf extract (FSE) which decreased by 13%. In addition, the aqueous solubility of FSE-CD was significantly increased to 70.2 g/L. The EC50 for scavenging DPPH and ABTS radicals decreased to 28.98 ug/mL and 25.54 ug/mL, respectively. The results showed that the β-CD-assisted extraction process would be a promising technology for bioactive compounds extracted from plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel technique of ultrasound‐assisted freeze‐thaw pretreatment (UFP) was developed to improve the drying efficiency of maca and bioactive amide synthesis in maca. The optimal UFP conditions are ultrasonic processing 90 min at 30 °C with 6 freeze‐thaw cycles. Samples with freeze‐thaw pretreatment (FP), ultrasound pretreatment (UP), and UFP were prepared for further comparative study. A no pretreatment (NP) sample was included as a control. The results showed that UFP improved the drying efficiency of maca slices, showing the highest effective moisture diffusivity (1.75 × 10−9 m2/s). This result was further supported by low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF‐NMR) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The rehydration capacity and protein content of maca slices were improved by UFP. More importantly, contents of bioactive macamides and their biosynthetic precursors were increased in 2.5‐ and 10‐fold, respectively. In conclusion, UFP is an efficient technique to improve drying efficiency, physicochemical properties, and bioactive macamides of maca, which can be applied in the industrial manufacture of maca products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macamides are bioactive and marker compounds of maca (Lepidium meyenii). Thirty-five commercial maca products were surveyed for macamide composition and content by HPLC-UV/MS. Significant variations of macamide content were found in these products (69-2738 μg/g). Analysis of the macamide biosynthetic pathway suggests that: (a) glucosinolate catabolism, (b) lipid hydrolysis, and (c) amide formation are key steps controlling macamide accumulation in the tissues during the postharvest drying process. Therefore, we further investigated the effects of sample forms, drying temperatures, and storage times on macamide accumulation. Our results show that (1) powdered maca provided the largest macamide accumulation followed by sliced hypocotyls, while whole roots displayed a significantly reduced amide-generating potential; (2) the ideal temperature for macamide formation is about 30°C; (3) macamide content increases continuously along with storage time; (4) exposure to air results in the percentage of unsaturated macamides decreasing. These findings provide useful insights which can be applied in the industrial manufacture of maca products with higher content of bioactive amides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an important natural compound of hemp. Cyclodextrin-assisted extraction of CBD from hemp leaves was optimized by single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. The highest extraction yield of CBD was 1.075 ± 0.012 mg/g and the recovery yield was 87.19 % using dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin (DM-βCD), which showed that the extract had a higher proportion of CBD. The optimal conditions were as follows: extraction temperature was 40 ℃, liquid-to-solid ratio was 25.17 mL/g, extraction time was 74.4 min, mass ratio of DM-βCD to hemp leaves was 1.17, and ethanol concentration was 60 %. Different characterizations demonstrated that complexation of DM-βCD promoted CBD extraction and increased the proportion of CBD in the extract. The cumulative release rate of CBD (67.98%) from the extract by DM-βCD-assisted extraction (DAHE) was much higher than that (2.62%) without DM-βCD-assisted extraction (HE). The permeability, bioactivity, and stability of DAHE were also better than that of HE. The better results of DAHE could be due to the inclusion by DM-βCD and the higher proportion of CBD. In conclusion, DM-βCD-assisted extraction was an appropriate method for CBD extraction and the obtained extract with higher CBD proportion and better bioactivity and stability could be applied in many fields. [Display omitted] • A high extraction yield was obtained by cyclodextrin-assisted green extraction. • Optimal extraction conditions were obtained by response surface methodology. • Multiple characterizations demonstrated inclusion of the cyclodextrin. • Complexation improved permeability, bioactivity, and stability of the extract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim was to evaluate the biocompatibility of theophylline/carboxymethyl chitosan/β-cyclodextrin microspheres made by spray drying for pulmonary delivery. Haemolysis tests and cell culture experiments were used to determine blood and cell biocompatibility, and in vivo implantation experiments were used to examine tissue biocompatibility. The theophylline/carboxymethyl chitosan/β-cyclodextrin microspheres were spherical in shape with a smooth or wrinkled surface, and showed no haemolysis activity. The cytotoxicity was dependent on concentration and showed no toxicity at low concentration. The results of implantation indicated that the inflammatory reaction gradually lessened and disappeared and had no significant difference from that of an operative suture. Therefore, theophylline/carboxymethyl chitosan/β-cyclodextrin microspheres possess good biocompatibility and can be used as a promising carrier for pulmonary drug delivery. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial genome plays a central role in aging, cancer, apoptosis and metabolism. We sequenced a complete mitochondrial genome sequence of a rat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease rat strain for the first time. The total length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,310 bp and coding 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes. This genome describing information will supply the potential use of mtDNA mutations as markers in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic pretreatment has been widely studied in food dehydration and drying utilization, which have been chiefly used in liquid medium. The sample slices of okra were performed using ultrasonic combined vacuum pre-treatment (UVP) prior to convective drying. The effects of UVP on drying efficiency and physicochemical properties of okra were studied. Based on Box-Behnken-Design, the optimum pre-treatment combination of ultrasound power level (250 W), sample thickness (0.5 cm) and ultrasonic duration (15 min) was obtained by response surface methodology (RSM). The experimental data from subsequent convective drying were well in close agreement with the Logarithmic model. The physicochemical properties of UVP okra slices at optimum pre-treatment conditions, including of colour, contents of several bioactive substances, antioxidant activity and rehydration potential, were predominately better than those of the control group. In conclusion, UVP can effectively improve the convective drying efficiency of okra, reduce energy consumption, and maintain the physicochemical properties of okra, which can be widely used in the industrialization of okra drying. • Ultrasonic combined vacuum pre-treatment (UVP) shortened the drying time of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). • Drying kinetics was successfully modeled by the Logarithmic model. • Quality of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) pretreated by Ultrasonic combined vacuum were retained well after drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hydrogen peroxide was used to decolorize ε-PL, thus improving products quality. • Optimum condition adopted in hydrogen peroxide processing was explored systematically. • Changes of ε-PL on molecular mass, composition, and structure caused by hydrogen peroxide treated was assessed. • The bioactivity including antioxidant activity, antibacterial performance, and cell cytotoxicity was determined. ε-poly- l -lysine (ε-PL) is a novel biopreservative with wide antibacterial spectrum, high safety, and stable property. However, the color of ε-PL generating from manufacturing process lowers its appearance and limits its application. This work aimed to decolorize ε-PL by hydrogen peroxide. Impacts of hydrogen peroxide concentration, pH, duration time and temperature were discussed. Physicochemical property and bioactivity of ε-PL were explored. Results indicated that 43.2 % color saturation and 94.54 % recovery rate were reached when the concentration of hydrogen peroxide, pH, duration time and temperature were 3.0 %, 7.0, 1.5 h and 70℃ respectively. Furthermore, the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) of the hydrogen peroxide treated ε-PL for Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus were 2 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL, and 0.1 mg/mL respectively, which was similar with untreated ε-PL. At last, cytotoxicity test indicated that no cytotoxicity could be observed at concentration lower than 2 mg/mL ε-PL. As a result, hydrogen peroxide treatment on ε-PL could significantly decolorize ε-PL without impairing the antibacterial performance and changing the cytotoxicity. Hydrogen peroxide treatment is a promising method to improve the appearance of products, to reduce the cost of decoloration, and to enlarge the application in food and cosmetics industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]