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Marrubiin, a furanoid compound, is a well-known diterpenoid lactone isolated from Marrubium vulgare, which displays a wide spectrum of pharmacological effects and potential hepatotoxicity. Considering that marrubiin contains a structural alert, furan ring, metabolic activation may be one of the major metabolic pathways, and the reactive metabolite may be involved in the hepatotoxicity. The present study was carried out to investigate the bioactivation mechanism of marrubiin in rats and humans. Marrubiin was initially metabolized into cis-butene-1,4-dial intermediate, which was readily trapped by glutathione (GSH) and N-acetyl-lysine (NAL) in the microsomal incubations supplemented with NADPH. A total of nine conjugates were detected and identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. M1-M3 and M6 and M7 were characterized as mono-GSH conjugates, and M4 and M5 were identified as bis-GSH conjugates. M8 and M9 were identified as NAL conjugates. In rat bile, five GSH conjugates (M1-M3; M6 and M7) were detected. M1, M8, and M9 were chemically synthesized, and their structures were characterized by 13C NMR. Sulfaphenazole, ticlopidine, and ketoconazole displayed significant inhibitory effect on the bioactivation of marrubiin. Further phenotyping revealed that CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 were the primary enzymes catalyzing the bioactivation of marrubiin. The current study provides evidence for the CYP-dominated bioactivation of marrubiin to the corresponding cis-butene-1,4-dial intermediate, which enables us to better understand the potential side effects caused by marrubiin.

Isobavachalcone, a naturally occurring chalcone in Psoralea corylifolia, posses many biological properties including anticancer, antiplatelet, and antifungal. However, its glucuronidation, glucuronides excretion, and drug-drug interaction (DDI) involving in human cytochrome P450 (CYP), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzymes, and efflux transporters (BCRP and MRPs) remains unclear so far. After incubation, three glucuronides were produced by HLM and HIM with total intrinsic clearance (CLint) of 236.71 and 323.40 μL/min/mg, respectively. Reaction phenotyping proved UGT1A1, 1A3, 1A7, 1A8, and 1A9 played important roles in glucuronidation with total CLint values of 62.69–143.00 μL/min/mg. Activity correlation analysis indicated UGT1A1 and UGT1A3 participated more in the glucuronidation. In addition, the glucuronidation showed marked species differences, and rabbits and dogs were probably appropriate model animals to investigate the in vivo glucuronidation. Furthermore, BCRP, MRP1, and MRP4 transporters were identified as the most important contributors to glucuronides excretion in HeLa1A1 cells based on gene silencing method. Moreover, isobavachalcone demonstrated broad-spectrum inhibitory effects against CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, UGT1A1, UGT1A9, UGT2B7 with IC50 values of 1.08–9.78 μM. Except CYP2B6 and CYP2D6, the calculated [I]/Ki values for other enzymes were all greater than 0.1, indicating the inhibition of systemic metabolism or elimination for these enzyme substrates seems likely. Taken together, we summarized metabolic fates of isobavachalcone including glucuronidation and efflux transport as well as inhibitory effects involving in human CYP and UGT enzymes.

Objectives Isobavachin is a phenolic with anti-osteoporosis activity. This study aimed to explore its metabolic fates in vivo and in vitro, and to investigate the potential drug–drug interactions involving CYPs and UGTs. Methods Metabolites of isobavachin in mice were first identified and characterized. Oxidation and glucuronidation study were performed using liver and intestine microsomes. Reaction phenotyping, activity correlation analysis and relative activity factor approaches were employed to identify the main CYPs and UGTs involved in isobavachin metabolism. Through kinetic modelling, inhibition mechanisms towards CYPs and UGTs were also explored. Key findings Two glucuronides (G1 - G2) and three oxidated metabolites (M1 - M3) were identified in mice. Additionally, isobavachin underwent efficient oxidation and glucuronidation by human liver microsomes and HIM with CLint values from 5.53 to 148.79 μl/min per mg. CYP1A2, 2C19 contributed 11.3% and 17.1% to hepatic metabolism of isobavachin, respectively, with CLint values from 8.75 to 77.33 μl/min per mg. UGT1As displayed CLint values from 10.73 to 202.62 μl/min per mg for glucuronidation. Besides, significant correlation analysis also proved that CYP1A2, 2C19 and UGT1A1, 1A9 were main contributors for the metabolism of isobavachin. Furthermore, mice may be the appropriate animal model for predicting its metabolism in human. Moreover, isobavachin exhibited broad inhibition against CYP2B6, 2C9, 2C19, UGT1A1, 1A9, 2B7 with Ki values from 0.05 to 3.05 μm. Conclusions CYP1A2, 2C19 and UGT1As play an important role in isobavachin metabolism. Isobavachin demonstrated broad-spectrum inhibition of CYPs and UGTs.

Zwitterionic modification can prolong the blood circulation time of nanocarrier in vivo, but zwitterionic content will affect the functions of nanocarrier such as enzyme-responsive and intracellular or extracellular delivery. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the relationship between the zwitterionic content and circulation time of nanocarrier so as to figure out what content of zwitterion can enable the nanocarrier to obtain both the long blood circulation ability and other functions mentioned above. Herein, using nanocapsule as a research model, we investigated the nanocapsule modified with zwitterion of phosphorylcholine (PC) or carboxybetaine (CB) respectively, and through 1H-NMR quantification we determined the zwitterionic surface content, so as to study the effect of PC or CB surface content on blood circulation performance of nanocapsule. In vivo study showed that the nanocapsule possessed an optimal surface filling ratios range for blood circulation of 43–68% for PC and of 20–68% for CB, with the longest t1/2=37.35 h for PC-nanocapsule and t1/2=45.27 h for CB-nanocapsule. Furthermore, the protein adsorption and macrophage endocytosis experiments indicated that when the surface filling ratio reached 43% for PC-nanocapsule and 20% for CB-nanocapsule, it could effectively reduce the protein adsorption and weaken macrophage endocytosis, thus explaining the phenomenon of long circulation time of nanocapsules from the point of protein adsorption and interaction with immune cells. This study proposes a new direction for designing long-circulating nanocarrier, and provides basis for constructing enzyme-responsive and intracellular or extracellular delivery platform.

Deoxygenative chlorination of carbonyl compounds using the HMe2SiCl/FeCl3/EtOAc and HMeSiCl2/FeCl3/EtOAc systems has been systemically investigated. The HMe2SiCl-FeCl3 system showed the advantages of good substrate applicability, mild reaction conditions, simple operation, low cost, and easy availability of raw materials. Also, it provided a simple and efficient synthesis route for carbonyl deoxychlorination via a one-pot method. Using the HMeSiCl2/FeCl3/EtOAc system, the β-methylchalcone derivative could be obtained in good yields in addition to obtaining the chlorinated compound. Finally, two plausible reaction routes were proposed to describe the formation of the chlorinated compound and the β-methylchalcone derivative.

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a group of steroid plant hormones regulating normal growth, development, and stress response in plants. However, the mechanisms by which BRs interfere with the resistance of soybean to Phytophthora sojae (P. sojae) remain largely unknown. The present study analyzed the role of BRs in soybean response against P. sojae by comparative proteomic approaches. A total of 52,381 peptides were obtained by trypsin digestion of 9,680 proteins, among which 6,640 proteins were quantified, and 402 proteins were identified as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Further analysis revealed that DEPs were significantly involved in the lignin biosynthesis pathway. The expression of the majority of key enzymes involved in lignin biosynthesis was upregulated by BR-pretreatment and P. sojae infection, and lignin accumulation was faster in BR-pretreated soybeans than in untreated controls. Additionally, accumulation of lignin was consistent with these enzyme expressions levels and resistance phenotype. These findings advance the understanding of the role of BRs in the interaction between soybeans and P. sojae.

Bavachinin, a natural bioactive flavanone, is reported to have many pharmacological proprieties, especially anti-osteoporosis activity. Here we aim to determine the roles of cytochrome P450s (CYP), UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT), and efflux transporters in metabolism and drug–drug interactions (DDI) of bavachinin. Phase I metabolism and glucuronidation were performed by human liver microsomes (HLM) and human intestine microsomes (HIM). Reaction phenotyping was used to identify the main CYPs and UGTs. Gene silencing methods were employed to investigate the roles of breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) in HeLa1A1 cells. Inhibition mechanisms towards CYPs and UGTs were explored through kinetic modeling. Three phase I metabolites (M1–M3) and one glucuronide (G1) were detected after incubation of bavachinin with HLM and HIM. The intrinsic clearance (CLint) values of M1 and G1 by HLM were 89.4 and 270.2 μL min−1 mg−1, respectively, while those of M3 and G1 by HIM were 25.8 and 247.1 μL min−1 mg−1, respectively. CYP1A1, 1A2, 1B1, 2C8, 2C19, and UGT1A1, 1A8 participated more in bavachinin metabolism. The metabolism showed marked species difference. BCRP and MRP4 were identified as the main contributors. Bavachinin displayed potent inhibitory effects against several CYP and UGT isozymes (Ki = 0.28–2.53 μM). Bavachinin was subjected to undergo metabolism and disposition by CYPs, UGTs, BCRP, MRP4, and was also a potent non-selective inhibitor against several CYPs and UGTs.

Ding's herbal enema (DHEP) is a traditional Chinese medicinal therapy that has been used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) in China. The present study determined the molecular mechanism of the effect of DHEP in UC treatment. C57BL/6J mice were treated with 3.5% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) for 7 days to establish an animal model of colitis. The mice were divided into five groups (n=5): Control, vehicle, DHEP, mesalazine and β-sitosterol. After oral administration for 7 days, the body weight, disease activity index, histopathology and inflammatory factors were analyzed. The fractions of CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells and CD4+IL-17A+ T helper (Th) cells were determined by flow cytometry. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed by next-generation sequencing. The results revealed that DHEP and β-sitosterol could significantly alleviate the symptoms of DSS-induced UC. Furthermore, the levels of IL-6, cyclooxygenase-2, TNF-α and p65 were reduced after administration of DHEP. Additionally, the data indicated that DHEP could increase the abundance of seven operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and decrease the abundance of 12 OTUs in the gut microbiota. The content of short-chain fatty acids in the colon remodeled the balance of Treg/Th17 cells in DSS-induced UC in mice. The present study preliminarily defined the mechanism of action of DHEP in UC that may be associated with the regulation of the gut microbiota composition, and maintenance of the balance between Treg and Th17 cells. Furthermore, β-sitosterol exhibited the same effects with DHEP and it could be a possible substitute for DHEP in UC treatment.

Purpose: The combination therapy of rosuvastatin (RSV) and the platelet inhibitor clopidogrel (CP) is widely accepted in the management of cardiovascular diseases. The objective of the present study was to identify the mechanism of RSV–CP DDI and evaluate the risk of hepatotoxicity associated with the concomitant use of CP.Methods: We first studied the effect of CP and its major circulating metabolite, carboxylic acid metabolite (CPC), on RSV transport by overexpressing cells and membrane vesicles. Second, we investigated whether a rat model could replicate this DDI and then be used to conduct mechanistic studies and assess the risk of hepatotoxicity. Then, cytotoxicity assay in hepatocytes, biochemical examination, and histopathology were performed to measure the magnitude of liver injury in the presence and absence of DDI.Results: CP inhibited OATP1B1-mediated transport of RSV with an IC50 value of 27.39 μM. CP and CPC inhibited BCRP-mediated RSV transport with IC50 values of 0-infinity by 76.29% and decreased intravenous RSV CL by 42.62%. Similarly, multiple p.o. doses of CP significantly increased p.o. RSV plasma AUC0-infinity by 87.48% and decreased p.o. RSV CL by 43.27%. CP had no effect on cell viability, while RSV exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity after 96 h incubation. Co-incubation of 100 μM CP and RSV for 96 h significantly increased intracellular concentrations and cell-to-medium concentration ratios of RSV and reduced hepatocyte viability. Histological evaluation of liver specimens showed patterns of drug-induced liver injury. Cholestasis was found in rats in the presence of DDI.Conclusion: CP is not a clinically relevant inhibitor for OATP1B1 and OATP1B3. The primary mechanism of RSV–CP DDI can be attributed to the inhibition of intestinal BCRP by CP combined with the inhibition of hepatic BCRP by CPC. The latter is likely to be more clinically relevant and be a contributing factor for increased hepatotoxicity in the presence of DDI.

Background The WRKY proteins are a superfamily of transcription factors and members play essential roles in the modulation of diverse physiological processes, such as growth, development, senescence and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the biological roles of the majority of the WRKY family members remains poorly understood in soybean relative to the research progress in model plants. Results In this study, we identified and characterized GmWRKY40, which is a group IIc WRKY gene. Transient expression analysis revealed that the GmWRKY40 protein is located in the nucleus of plant cells. Expression of GmWRKY40 was strongly induced in soybean following infection with Phytophthora sojae, or treatment with methyl jasmonate, ethylene, salicylic acid, and abscisic acid. Furthermore, soybean hairy roots silencing GmWRKY40 enhanced susceptibility to P. sojae infection compared with empty vector transgenic roots. Moreover, suppression of GmWRKY40 decreased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and modified the expression of several oxidation-related genes. Yeast two-hybrid experiment combined with RNA-seq analysis showed that GmWRKY40 interacted with 8 JAZ proteins with or without the WRKY domain or zinc-finger domain of GmWRKY40, suggesting there were different interaction patterns among these interacted proteins. Conclusions Collectively, these results suggests that GmWRKY40 functions as a positive regulator in soybean plants response to P. sojae through modulating hydrogen peroxide accumulation and JA signaling pathway.

Lignification is a key event in plant defense against pathogens. In the plant lignin biosynthetic pathway, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) catalyzes the conversion of trans-cinnamic acid to p-coumaric acid. However, the potential role of C4H in plant defense remains elusive. In this research, a soybean C4H gene, GmC4H1, was identified via microarray-based comparative transcriptome analysis of genes responsive to Phytophthora sojae infection. The accumulation of GmC4H1 transcripts increased significantly upon P. sojae infection. Nicotiana benthamiana plants overexpressing GmC4H1 demonstrated enhanced lignin accumulation and elevated resistance to both Phytophthora parasitica and Verticillium dahliae. The silencing of GmC4H1 in soybean hairy roots resulted in decreased resistance to P. sojae. These results together suggest that GmC4H1 contributes positively to plant defense against various pathogens, possibly by enhancing lignin biosynthesis.

GL-V9, a derivative of wogonin, has potent anti-cancer activity. The absorption and metabolism of this compound have not been investigated systematically. This study aims to illustrate the pharmacokinetic characters of GL-V9 by exploring its metabolic status under different administration routes. To further clarify the absorption mechanism of GL-V9, an in situ single-pass perfusion model and a Caco-2 cell monolayer model were used. Meanwhile, a microsomal incubation system was used to evaluate the enzyme kinetic parameters. In vivo, the obtained gastrointestinal availability (Fa × Fg ) was 21.28 ± 5.38%. The unmetabolized fraction in the gut wall (Fgut wall ) was 98.59 ± 9.74%, while the hepatic bioavailability (Fh ) was 29.11 ± 5.22%. These results indicated that poor absorption and extensive metabolism may contribute greatly to the low bioavailability of GL-V9. The effective permeability (Peff ) in the duodenum and jejunum was 1.34 ± 0.50 × 10-4 and 0.90 ± 0.27 × 10-4 cm/s, respectively. The high permeability of GL-V9 indicated that other unknown factors (such as metabolism) may account for its systemic exposure problem. Studies in rat liver microsomal (RLMs) confirmed this hypothesis, and the Clint, CYP450s and UGT of GL-V9 was 0.20 ml/min/mg protein. In conclusion, these results suggest that GL-V9 possesses higher permeability than wogonin and the metabolism of GL-V9 is related to its disposition in rat intestine and liver.

Background Polymyxin B is used as the last treatment resort for multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections. This study aimed to develop and validate a simple and robust liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analytical method for therapeutic drug monitoring of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polymyxin B1 and B2. Methods Plasma and CSF polymyxin B1 and B2 were chromatographically separated on a Thermo Hypersil GOLD aQ C18 column and detected using electrospray ionization mode coupled with multiple reaction monitoring. Blood and CSF samples for pharmacokinetic analysis were collected from 15 polymyxin B-treated patients. Results The calibration curve showed acceptable linearity over 0.2-10 mcg/mL for polymyxin B1 and 0.05-2.5 mcg/mL for B2 in the plasma and CSF, respectively. After validation, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) method validation guideline, this method was applied for polymyxin B1 and B2 quantification in over 100 samples in a clinical study. Conclusions A simple and robust method to measure polymyxin B1 and B2 in human CSF was first exploited and validated with good sensitivity and specificity, and successfully applied in polymyxin B pharmacokinetic analysis and therapeutic monitoring in Chinese patients.

In this work, closed-cell aluminum foams with 4 wt.% contents of short-cut basalt fibers (BFs) were successful prepared by using the modified melt-foaming method. The pore size of BF-containing aluminum foam and commercially pure aluminum foam was counted. The distribution of BF and its effect on the compressive properties of closed-cell aluminum foams were investigated. The results showed that the pore size of BF-containing aluminum foams was more uniform and smaller. BF mainly existed in three different forms: Some were totally embedded in the cell walls, some protruded from the cell walls, and others penetrated through the cells. Meanwhile, under the present condition, BF-containing aluminum foams possessed higher compressive strength and energy absorption characteristics than commercially pure aluminum foams, and the reasons were discussed.

L-Ascorbic acid (AsA) plays an important role in plants and animals. In plants, GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP) is essential in the AsA biosynthetic pathway. However, little is known about the genes encoding GMP in soybean and here we report genetic and functional analysis of the GmGMP1 (Glycine max GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase 1) gene in this species. GmGMP1 encoded a GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase and exhibited higher transcript levels in the leaf than in the root, stem, flower, and seed. Transcript of this gene was ubiquitous in the vegetative and reproductive organs, and was induced by abiotic stress and light. Increasing expression of GmGMP1 in Arabidopsis and soybean through an overexpressing approach caused pronounced enhancement of AsA content, and was implicated in lowering the superoxide anion radical content and lipid peroxidation levels in Arabidopsis, and conferring tolerance to osmotic and high salt stresses during seed germination. The present study represents the first systematic determination of soybean genes encoding GDP-mannose pyrophosphorylase and provides useful evidence for the functional involvement of GmGMP1 in control of AsA content and conferring tolerance to osmotic and salt stress.

In this study, we used four ways to represent ionic liquids (ILs), namely, molecular fingerprint (MF), molecular descriptor (MD), the addition of MF (MF + MF) and the combination of MF and MD (MF_MD), to develop quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models for predicting the refractive index and viscosity of ILs. Results showed that the predictive performance of QSPR models followed the order: MD

Baijiu is a widely consumed spirit usually distilled from fermented sorghum. Here the use of other cereal grains (wheat, corn, rice and barley) is compared with sorghum. The concentration of ethyl acetate in spirit made from sorghum was found to be higher than in the spirits made using other grains, whereas the concentrations of aldehydes and higher alcohols were lower. Based on sensory evaluations, the flavours were more satisfactory when sorghum was used for making Baijiu. Of the other cereals, the flavour from wheat was better than those of corn, rice and barley for making Baijiu. The ester concentration of the spirit made from the rice was low, whereas aldehyde and alcohol contents were high. An abnormal flavour was found in spirits made from corn or barley. Further work with sorghum showed variations in tannin content, and a correlation between the tannin content and brewing performance. When the content of tannin was

Using a rigid ditopic ligand, 4,5-di(4′-carboxylphenyl)benzene (H2L), three coordination polymers (CPs) formulated as MnL(H2O)2 (1), CdL(H2O) (2) and Mn2L2(DMF)3 (3) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These three CPs display 2D architectures but with different topologies. The experimental data and DFT calculation indicate that CP 2 is a semiconductor, and its CB/VB energy levels match with those of the perovskite CH3NH3PbI3. A FTO/TiO2/CH3NH3PbI3/CP 2 device is fabricated and the CP-based device shows much larger photoresponse under visible light illumination (650 nm > λ > 350 nm, 100 mW cm−2) than the individual CP 2. At 0 V vs. AgCl/Ag, the largest photocurrent density yielded by the CP-based perovskite device is ca. 200 times that of CP 2, which is due to the matched energy levels of all the materials in the device, leading the photogenerated electron–hole pairs to be separated effectively. Meanwhile, the coverage of the insoluble CP on the surface of the perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 can improve the stability of the perovskite against water.

GL-V9 is a prominent derivative of wogonin with a wide therapeutic spectrum and potent anti-tumor activity. The metabolism characteristics of GL-V9 remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify the metabolic pathway of GL-V9 and investigate the generation of its glucuronidation metabolites in vitro and in vivo. HPLC-UV-TripleTOF was used to identify metabolites. The main metabolite that we found was chemically synthesized and the synthetic metabolite was utilized as standard substance for the subsequent metabolism studies of GL-V9, including enzyme kinetics in liver microsomes of five different species and reaction phenotyping metabolism using 12 recombinant human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isoforms. Results indicated that the glucuronidation reaction occurred at C5-OH group, and 5-O-glucuronide GL-V9 is the only glucuronide metabolite and major phase II metabolite of GL-V9. Among 12 recombinant human UGTs, rUGT1A9 showed the strongest catalytic capacity for the glucuronidation reaction of GL-V9. rUGT1A7 and rUGT1A8 were also involved in the glucuronidation metabolism. Km of rUGT1A7-1A9 was 3.25 &plusmn, 0.29, 13.92 &plusmn, 1.05, and 4.72 &plusmn, 0.28 &mu, M, respectively. In conclusion, 5-O-glucuronide GL-V9 is the dominant phase II metabolite of GL-V9 in vivo and in vitro, whose formation rate and efficiency are closely related to isoform-specific metabolism profiles and the distribution of UGTs in different tissues of different species.

GL-V9, a derivative of wogonin, shows much more potent anticancer properties than wogonin. In this study, a selective, sensitive and rapid ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of GL-V9 in rat plasma. Plasma samples were processed using methanol to precipitate protein. Chromatographic separation of analytes was achieved on a C18 column using gradient elution within 4.5 min. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and water including 0.1% (v/v) formic acid and 5 mm ammonium acetate. GL-V9 and caffeine (internal standard) were monitored by positive electrospray triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and quantified using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with the transitions of m/z 410.20 → 126.10 (GL-V9) and 195.10 → 138.00 (IS: caffeine), respectively. Good linearity was obtained over the range of 2-1000 ng/mL (R2 > 0.99) and the extraction recovery was 101.91 ± 11.34%. The intra- and inter-day precision variations were small (RSD 1.35-6.96%) and the relative error (RE) of accuracy was -7.35-6.27%. The established and validated UPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to study the pharmacokinetic behavior of GL-V9 after administration through different delivery routes. The results demonstrated that pulmonary delivery exhibited a greater advantage in terms of improving bioavailability compared with oral administration.

The halotolerance protein HAL3, also known as SIS2, is a yeast protein that regulates the cell cycle and tolerance to salt stress through inhibition of the Ppz1 type 1 protein phosphatase. Although the roles of HAL3 have been demonstrated during the growth, development, and stress adaptation of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum, the function of HAL3 in other plant species, including soybean (Glycine max), has not been elucidated. In this study, GmHAL3a and GmHAL3b were isolated from Glycine max, and their roles were analyzed. GmHAL3a and GmHAL3b transcripts were detected in the roots, stems, leaves and seeds, with higher levels in the roots, and were induced by sodium chloride (NaCl), lithium chloride (LiCl), sorbitol, cold and ABA treatment. Overexpression of GmHAL3a or GmHAL3b in Arabidopsis accelerated the onset of flowering and resulted in more vigorous seed germination and increased tolerance to NaCl, LiCl, and sorbitol stress in seedlings, compared with wild type (WT) and empty vector control (VC) plants. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants accumulated proline and eliminated superoxide radical (O2−) in response to the stress. In addition, transcription levels of the stress-related genes RD22 and P5CS1 were substantially higher in transgenic Arabidopsis than in WT and VC plants. Taken together, the data indicate that GmHAL functions as a positive regulator of the response to salt, lithium cations and sorbitol stress.

In situ gelling thermosensitive hydrogel formulation has been reported to effectively sustain the release of macromolecules for a long time. However, the low-molecular-weight hydrophilic drugs, such as doxorubicin (DOX), are not suitable for intratumoral injection because the release will complete within one day. In this study, liposomal doxorubicin (LipDOX) was added into the hydrogel to form a novel thermosensitive formulation which prolonged the sustained release of DOX. DOX+C/GP (doxorubicin in chitosan/β-glycerophosphate) was prepared to compare with LipDOX+C/GP (liposomal doxorubicin in chitosan/β-glycerophosphate hydrogel). The particle size of DOX-loaded liposome was 94.2nm and the encapsulation efficiency of DOX was near 98%. In vitro release experiments, the release of DOX in both DOX+C/GP group and LipDOX+C/GP group increased along with the increasing pH of buffers. However, the LipDOX+C/GP group with lower initial burst release had a much longer releasing duration than DOX+C/GP group (21days vs. 24h). In vitro and in vivo antitumor experiments demonstrated that LipDOX+C/GP group had better antineoplastic effect and less toxicity than DOX+C/GP group. Pharmacokinetics study showed LipDOX+C/GP exhibited a higher AUC0-t and longer MRT than DOX+C/GP in blood and tumor, which indicated that LipDOX+C/GP obtained an enhanced antitumor activity compared with DOX+C/GP. In addition, the lower distribution index (the ratio of AUC of normal tissue/AUC of tumor tissue) of the LipDOX+C/GP implied it had lower toxicity to normal tissues than DOX+C/GP. Therefore, the novel thermosensitive hydrogel formulation was potential for clinical application in cancer treatment.

The proline transporter protein (ProT) plays an important role in protective stress responses in various plants. However, its function in abiotic stress responses in soybean ( Glycine max ) remains obscure. In the present study, two soybean ProT genes, namely GmProT1 and GmProT2, were isolated by homologous cloning. GmProT1 and GmProT2 encode polypeptides of 435 and 433 amino acids, respectively. The GmProT1 and GmProT2 proteins showed high similarity to other ProT proteins. GmProT1 and GmProT2 transcripts were detected in different soybean tissues including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and developmental seeds, and during diverse developmental stages. GmProT1 was strongly expressed in seeds 35 days after flowering. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the two genes were highly expressed in leaves and could be strongly induced in response to salt and drought conditions and ABA treatment. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing the two genes were generated, which showed that GmProT genes attenuate damage from salt and drought stress. In addition, transgenic Arabidopsis plants accumulated proline in response to salt and osmotic stress. Transcription levels of salinity-responsive gene ( RD29B and S0S3 ) and drought-induced gene ( CDPK1 ) were higher in the transgenic lines than that of wild type plants. Our work provides evidence that GmProT genes function in the response to abiotic stresses and may affect the synthesis and response system of proline.

This investigation undertook a systematic analysis of two kinds Daqu (Tao-hua qu and Fu-qu) made by same method, but in different seasons (spring and summer). The analysis determined the content of microorganisms, enzyme activity and flavour component of the Daqu. From the results, it was noted that the prokaryotic microbial species present in Daqu were much more complex than the eukaryotic microorganisms; from the results of Operational Taxonomic Units, prokaryotic microorganisms were about 6–8 times greater than eukaryotic microorganisms. With regards to eukaryotic microorganisms, Fu-qu contained a more complex consortium than Tao-hua qu, but Tao-hua qu contained a more complex prokaryotic population than Fu-qu. The saccharification and liquefaction of Daqu were achieved by the mould and a saccharifying enzyme, which was secreted by the mould. The growth temperature of the mould was 20–30 °C and from the analysis results it can be seen that the saccharification and liquefaction of Tao-hua qu produced in the spring was higher than that of Fu-qu produced in the summer. A qualitative analysis of the volatile flavour substances in Daqu was performed using the methods of the NIST data-base and relative retention indices. Approximately 26 kinds of volatile flavour substances were detected in the Tao-hua qu compared with approximately 22 kinds of volatile flavour substances in the Fu-qu. A specific observation of the volatile flavour substances of the two was that Tao-hua qu and Fu-qu had about 13 volatile flavour compounds that were common to both. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling

α-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), a synthetic auxin, improves plant stress tolerance. A hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate how NAA pretreatment could improve drought resistance in soybean seedlings. NAA pretreatment triggered an early increase in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA), a late elevation of net photosynthetic rate (Pn), a late decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage and a rise in antioxidant enzyme activities during both early and late phases, under drought stress. However, the application of the ABA biosynthesis inhibitor tungstate and the IAA biosynthesis inhibitors l-Amino-oxyphenylpropionic acid and aminoethoxyvinylglycine resulted in an early decrease in H2O2 and an early and late decline in the activities of antioxidant enzymes in NAA-pretreated stressed plants. Moreover, the inhibitors also induced an increase in H2O2, MDA and electrolyte leakage and decrease in Pn in the late phase in stressed leaves pretreated with NAA. Similarly, the application of the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium and H2O2 scavenger dimethylthiourea arrested the early accumulation of H2O2, but not of IAA and ABA in stressed plants pretreated with NAA, and blocked the early and late rise in antioxidant enzyme activities, the late increase in Pn and the late decrease in H2O2, MDA and electrolyte leakage induced by NAA in drought-stressed plants. Our data suggest that NAA application triggers early IAA- and ABA-dependent H2O2 accumulation, which, in turn, results in an enhancement of antioxidant capacity and drought stress tolerance in soybean seedlings.

Ascorbate (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) play an important role in improving the tolerance of plants to water stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of early abscisic acid (ABA) accumulation on AsA and GSH metabolism in soybean plants after 24 h of exposure to progressive water stress. The results showed that AsA, total AsA, GSH and total GSH content, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), GSH reductase (GR), GSH peroxidase (GPX), l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH), and γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) activities were increased by progressive water stress. The above increases, except for total GSH content and the activities of GLDH and γ-GCS, were blocked by pretreatment with tungstate, an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor, which significantly suppressed the early increase in ABA and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in stressed plants. Application of ABA reversed the effects of tungstate. Pretreatments with several ROS scavengers, such as Tiron and dimethylthiourea (DMTU), and an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase, diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), significantly arrested the early accumulation of ROS but not ABA in stressed plants. Furthermore, the above-mentioned pretreatments remarkably prevented any increase in APX, MDHAR, DHAR, GR, and GPX activities, as well as AsA, total AsA and GSH levels in stressed plants. Our results indicated that early ABA accumulation caused by progressive water stress triggers an early rise in ROS levels, which, in turn, leads to regulation of AsA and GSH metabolism.

Until today, the clinical application of phytochemicals is still limited largely due to poor oral bioavailability. Pulmonary administration is considered as an attractive alternative to oral delivery as it can improve the pharmacokinetic properties of compounds with extensive metabolism. In this study, resveratrol was selected as a study model to evaluate the feasibility of pulmonary administration in the delivery of phytochemicals, aiming to promote their therapeutic potential. The pharmacokinetic investigation on resveratrol was conducted in rats. Compared with oral delivery, resveratrol in rats after pulmonary administration showed superior absorption and bioavailability (92.95%). Directed delivery of resveratrol to lungs also showed potential usefulness in the treatment of lung diseases as drugs rapidly accumulated in lung tissues and concentrations were more than 100 times those of oral delivery at early time points. The metabolic study was carried out using rat microsomes and showed that metabolic activity of lung was much lower than that of liver. The overall results indicate that pulmonary administration is an effective strategy for both systemic and local delivery of resveratrol.

NAC proteins represent one of the largest transcription factor (TF) families involved in the regulation of plant development and the response to abiotic stress. In the present study, we elucidated the detailed role of GmNAC8 in the regulation of drought stress tolerance in soybean. The GmNAC8 protein was localized in the nucleus, and expression of the GmNAC8 gene was significantly induced in response to drought, abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ETH) and salicylic acid (SA) treatments. Thus, we generated GmNAC8 overexpression (OE1 and OE2) and GmNAC8 knockout (KO1 and KO2) lines to determine the role of GmNAC8 in drought stress tolerance. Our results revealed that, compared with the wild type (WT) plant, GmNAC8 overexpression and GmNAC8 knockout lines exhibited significantly higher and lower drought tolerance, respectively. Furthermore, the SOD activity and proline content were significantly higher in the GmNAC8 overexpression lines and significantly lower in the GmNAC8 knockout lines than in the WT plants under drought stress. In addition, GmNAC8 protein was found to physically interact with the drought-induced protein GmDi19-3 in the nucleus. Moreover, the GmDi19-3 expression pattern showed the same trend as the GmNAC8 gene did under drought and hormone (ABA, ETH and SA) treatments, and GmDi19-3 overexpression lines (GmDi19-3-OE9, GmDi19-3-OE10 and GmDi19-3-OE31) showed enhanced drought tolerance compared to that of the WT plants. Hence, the above results indicated that GmNAC8 acts as a positive regulator of drought tolerance in soybean and inferred that GmNAC8 probably functions by interacting with another positive regulatory protein, GmDi19-3.

Heat shock protein 90 s (Hsp90s), one of the most conserved and abundant molecular chaperones, is an essential component of the protective stress response. A previous study reported at least 12 genes in the GmHsp90s family in soybean and that GmHsp90A2 overexpression enhanced thermotolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we investigate the roles of GmHsp90A2 in soybean by utilizing stable transgenic soybean lines overexpressing GmHsp90A2 and mutant lines generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The results showed that compared with wild-type plants (WT) and empty vector control plants (VC), T3 transgenic soybean plants overexpressing GmHsp90A2 exhibited increased tolerance to heat stress through higher chlorophyll and lower malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in plants. Conversely, reduced chlorophyll and increased MDA contents in T2 homozygous GmHsp90A2-knockout mutants indicated decreased tolerance to heat stress. GmHsp90A2 was found to interact with GmHsp90A1 in yeast two-hybrid assays. Furthermore, subcellular localization analyses revealed that GmHsp90A2 was localized to the cytoplasm and cell membrane; as shown by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays, GmHsp90A2 interacted with GmHsp90A1 in the nucleus and cytoplasm and cell membrane. Hence, we conclude that GmHsp90A1 is able to bind to GmHsp90A2 to form a complex and that this complex enters the nucleus. In summary, GmHsp90A2 might respond to heat stress and positively regulate thermotolerance by interacting with GmHsp90A1.

Soybean is one of the most important economic and oil crops across the world. Phytophthora root rot (PRR), caused by Phytophthora sojae (P. sojae), is a major disease in most soybean-growing regions worldwide. Here, we investigated metabolic changes in hypocotyls of two soybean lines, Nannong 10-1 (resistant line, R) and 06-070583 (susceptible line, S), at two time points (12 and 36 hpi) after P. sojae infection and metabolic differences between the R line and the S line. In total, 90 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified after P. sojae infection; the levels of 50 metabolites differed between the R line and the S line. There are 28 DAMs that not only differentially accumulated between the R line and the S line but also differentially accumulated after P. sojae infection. Based on the changes of these DAMs in response to P. sojae infection in different lines and at different timepoints, and the differences in the contents of these DAMs between the R line and the S line, we speculated that DAMs, including sugars (monosaccharides and oligosaccharides), organic acids (oxalic acid, cumic acid), amino acid derivatives, and other secondary metabolites (mannitol, octanal, hypoxanthine, and daidzein etc.) may participate in the metabolic-level defense response of soybean to P. sojae. In this study, an integrated pathway-level analysis of transcriptomics (obtained by RNA-Seq) and metabolomics data illustrated the poor connections and interdependencies between the metabolic and transcriptional responses of soybean to P. sojae infection. This work emphasizes the value of metabolomic studies of plant-pathogen interactions and paves the way for future research of critical metabolic determinants of the soybean-P. sojae interaction.

Pulmonary delivery of anti-cancer drugs in the form of nanoparticulate dry powders is considered a promising modality for treating lung cancer. However, it is not known whether the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of nano-preparations are altered after co-spray drying. In this study, we compared the physicochemical property, anti-cancer activity, tumor targeting and pharmacokinetic behavior of docetaxel-loaded folic acid-conjugated liposomes (LPs-DTX-FA) with those of dry powder prepared by co-spray-drying LPs-DTX-FA. The particle size and PDI after re-dispersion of the powder were increased. The re-dispersed liposomes showed increased cellular uptake via micropinocytosis and exhibited higher cytotoxicity than LPs-DTX-FA. Tumor targeting of re-dispersed liposomes was less effective compared with LPs-DTX-FA but the metabolism of re-dispersed liposomes was decreased. Tracheal administration resulted in a 45-fold higher concentration of docetaxel in the lung of Sprague Dawley rats at 30 min as compared with intravenous administration. Our results indicated that co-spray drying did change the properties, while tracheal administration of the dry powder provided higher drug exposure at the tumor site without increasing the exposure of other organs. Thus, inhaled dry powders might be clinically effective for treatment of lung cancer.

Drought is a major abiotic factor limiting agricultural crop production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of triadimefon (TDM) on leaf physiology and growth of soybean in response to drought stress. Soybean variety of Nannong 99-6 (Glycine max var.) was used to study the effects of TDM on carbon–nitrogen metabolism and root structure under drought stress with pot experiment. The results showed that drought stress significantly depressed the growth and yield regardless of spraying TDM. However, drought-stressed plants treated with TDM (D+T) showed much higher biomass and yield than those without TDM (D). Leaves of D+T plants exhibited a higher relative water content and chlorophyll content, but lower relative electric conductivity as compared with those of the D plants. Formation of lots of new roots, and more mitochondria and electron density deposits in the cells of root tips in D+T plants were noticed. Foliar glucose, fructose, and soluble sugar were increased by drought during the drought stress period. TDM decreased glucose and fructose a little during stress and the beginning stage of the recovery period but increased it later in the recovery period. Activities of sucrose synthase (SS EC 2.4.1.13), sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS EC 2.4.1.13), and glutamine synthetase (GS EC6.3.1) and contents of NO3-N were increased by TDM. Collectively, the results indicated that TDM could effectively alleviate the adverse effects caused by drought stress, which was partially attributable to modifications in morphology and physiological characteristic.

Oxiracetam (ORC), a nootropic drug used for improving the cognition and memory, has an asymmetric carbon in its structure and exists as (S)- and (R)-ORC. The pharmacokinetic profiles of racemic oxiracetam and its pure enantiomers in rats were evaluated and compared by enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography, which was performed on a Chiralpak ID column with a mobile phase of hexane-ethanol-trifluoroacetic acid (78:22:0.1, v/v/v). The method was validated with respect to selectivity, linearity, accuracy and precision, stability and the limit of quantification. The validation acceptance criteria were met in all cases. A saturating phenomenon of (S)-ORC was observed when the dosage ranged from 200 mg/kg to 800 mg/kg. The two enantiomers showed similar profiles in the absorb phase, and reached the maximum concentration at 2h after oral administration. However, compared with the racemate group, the AUC/dose and Cmax/dose ratios of (S)-ORC were higher and Cl/f was lower in enanpure (S)-ORC group. The Cmax of (S)-ORC decreased from 21.3 ± 5.0 μg/ml to 13.2 ± 4.2 when (R)-ORC was co-administrated at the dose of 200mg/kg. AUC0-t values of (S)-ORC were different after oral administration of 200 mg/kg (S)-ORC and 400 mg/kg racemic ORC (96.7 ± 15.5 and 50.1 ± 16.3 μg h/ml). The higher absorption and slower elimination suggest that enantiopure (S)-ORC could be a promising drug that efficiently reduces clinical dosage, improves therapeutic indices, decreases toxicology risks, and results in increased therapeutic ration.

With manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) as the oxidant, perfluorinated sulfonic acid ion exchange resin (Nafion) as the doping agent and emulsifier, Nafion doped polyaniline (PANI-Nafion) was prepared by emulsion polymerization method. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out to characterize the structure and morphology of PANI-Nafion. Symmetric redox supercapacitor was assembled with PANI-Nafion as active electrode material and 1.0 mol L −1 H 2 SO 4 aqueous solution as electrolyte. The electrochemical characteristics of these supercapacitors were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. These results show that the diameter of PANI-Nafion nanofiber is about 30 ∼ 40 nm and the pores between PANI-Nafion composite materials are distributed uniformly. The specific capacitance of PANI-Nafion electrode is about 385.3 F g −1 , which is higher than that of undoped PANI (235.8 F g −1 ). After 1000 charge/discharge cycles the specific capacitance of PANI-Nafion electrode is 272.4 F g −1 , its capacity retention is 70.7%, which is significantly better than that of PANI electrode materials.

After dissolve PVDF in DMF, porous PVDF beads were prepared by water assistant. The porous beads were better crystallized and possessed greater relative surface than ordinary PVDF. The results suggested that the relative surface of PVDF reach 6.53m2/g while the dripping speed was 0.95ml/min. The material could rise to the modulator to fabricate nanometer fiber polymers.

The cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) represent a large and important enzyme superfamily in plants. They catalyze numerous monooxygenation/hydroxylation reactions in biochemical pathways, P450s are involved in a variety of metabolic pathways and participate in the homeostasis of phytohormones. The CYP82 family genes specifically reside in dicots and are usually induced by distinct environmental stresses. However, their functions are largely unknown, especially in soybean (Glycine max L.). Here, we report the function of GmCYP82A3, a gene from soybean CYP82 family. Its expression was induced by Phytophthora sojae infection, salinity and drought stresses, and treatment with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) or ethephon (ETH). Its expression levels were consistently high in resistant cultivars. Transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana plants overexpressing GmCYP82A3 exhibited strong resistance to Botrytis cinerea and Phytophthora parasitica, and enhanced tolerance to salinity and drought stresses. Furthermore, transgenic plants were less sensitive to jasmonic acid (JA), and the enhanced resistance was accompanied with increased expression of the JA/ET signaling pathway-related genes.

A comparative proteomic study was made to explore the molecular mechanisms, which underlie soybean root and stem defense response caused by the oomycete Phytophthora sojae strain P6497. Soybean (Glycine max cv. Xinyixiaoheidou) seedling roots were incubated in salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, 1-amino cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, hydrogen peroxide, sodium nitroprusside, vitamin B(1) and P. sojae zoosperm in order to determine whether the corresponding leaves play a role in the defense response at the proteomic level. The results showed that the proteome of leaves had no significant differences. Of the 21 identified proteins identified in the study, 62 % were involved in predominately in energy functions. Those involved in protein synthesis, secondary metabolism and metabolism categories followed in abundance, where proteins involved as transporters and in transcription were the least and represented only 5 %. Those related to energy were shown to be involved in photosynthesis and photorespiration activities. The present study provides important information with regards to proteomic methods aimed to study protein regulations of the soybean-P. sojae pathosystem, especially in terms of host resistance to this pathogen.

The layered LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 used as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries was synthesized from precursor Ni0.5Mn0.5CO3 prepared via a carbonate co-precipitation method. The precursor Ni0.5Mn0.5CO3 was synthesized by the addition of KHCO3 to an aqueous solution of Ni, Mn sulphates. The powder LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Spherical LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 with well development layered structure was obtained by the carbonate co-precipitation method. The LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 samples adopted the α-NaFeO2 structure with a space group R-3m. Galvanostatic charge-discharge behavior of the LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 cathodes delivered a initial charge and discharge capacity of 144.4 mAh/g and 140.2 mAh/g, respectively in the voltage range 2.5-4.5V at a discharge rate of 0.02A/g. The capacity showed no dramatic capacity fading during 50 cycles.

The new functional material, the hybrids with molecular formula (C6H5CNH2nNH3)2PbI4(where N=0,1,2) were synthesized by reactions in solution. The influences of the reactant ratio and the reaction time on the structures of the products were investigated. The structures and the properties of the hybrids were characterized using X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet&visible (UV) adsorption spectra . The effect of number of methylene, n, on the structure forming and the band gap magnitude has been studied. The results demenstrate that the number of methylene has effect both on the forming of the layered structure and on the magnitude of the band gap.

A steady layered organic-inorganic perovskite hybrid containing Fe3+ was prepared in the air with phenosafranine as organic sheets, the Fe(CN)63- as inorganic sheets. We utilized the Fe(CN)63- as inorganic sheets of perovskite hybrids, which may help to stabilize the unusual metal-deficient layered structures. The results of X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) show that the hybrid is typical layered perovskite structure. The hybrid was mixed with paraffin to form a hybrid paste for the hybrid paste electrode. Electrochemical characteristics of carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified by hybrid were investigated with cyclic voltammetry. The modified electrode can accelerate the electron-transfer to improve the electrochemical reaction reversibility and be use for the determination of chemicals. The interactions between sodium nitrite (NaNO2), sodium bromide (NaBr), hydroxylammonium chloride (NH2OH·HCl), hydroquinone (C6H6O2) with hybrid were studied. The modified electrode exhibits good electrochemical activity. The hybrid can be used as electrochemical materials.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the requirement of nonphytate phosphorus (nPP) and efficacy of a genetically engineered yeast phytase (PHY A) for Lingnan yellow broilers from 22- to 42-d-old age. A total of 1 320 1-d-old male chicks were randomly divided into 11 dietary treatment groups, which consisted of 4 replicate floor pens with 30 birds per pen. The control group (treatment 1) was fed with basal diet of nPP 0.08% without dicalcium phosphate or phytase supplementation. Dietary levels of nPP were 0.16, 0.24, 0.32, 0.40, 0.48, and 0.56%, respectively, for treatments 2 to 7, through addition of dicalcium phosphate (chemistry grade) to the basal diet. Diets of treatments 8 to 11 were supplemented with PHY A at 200, 400 and 600 U kg−1, a commercial phytase product (PHY B) at 400 U kg−1 level, respectively. The birds in 0.32–0.56% nPP groups gained more than those of the other groups (P

A hybrid containing two organic components of n-butylamine and methylamine based on CuBr2was synthesized by reaction in solution. The influence of solvent and the feed ratio on the structure of the product were investigated. The structure and the thermostability of the hybrid were characterized using X-ray diffraction, chemical elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Comparing with the hybrid based on CuBr2containing only one organic component of n-butylamine, the hybrid containing two organic component s of n-butylamine and methylamine based on CuBr2also have layered perovskite structure and it can be synthesized with appropriate reaction conditions. The hybrid can illuminate blue light under the excitation of ultraviolet light.

Lithium-deficient thin films Li1-xNi0.5Mn0.5O2 were synthesized by sol-gel method using metal lithium, manganese and nickel acetate salts and acetylacetonate salts as started materials, respectively. The microstructures and electrochemical performance of Li1-xNi0.5Mn0.5O2 thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurements. Lithium-deficient was due to the formation of spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 impurities. The lithium-deficient was more seriously for SB film due to contain crystal water in the acetate salts. The raw material had great influence on the morphology of the films. The SA film had better electrochemical properties than that of SB film. The first discharge capacity was about 51 μAh/cm2-μm. After 40 cycles, 76% of its discharge capacity can be retained. The metal acetylacetonate salts without crystal water are more suitable for the preparation of LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2 film by sol-gel method.

Vanadium pentoxide xerogel films intercalated by poly (ethylene oxide), PEO, were prepared using direct intercalation method via a sol-gel route. The electrical and electrochromic characterization of the films were conducted. The electrical properties along and across V-O layers have been evaluated. The results indicate that the proper amount of PEO can increase the electrical conductivity and charge density of the films. The electrochromism of the films upon lithium intercalation was investigated by ex-situ transmittance measurement. The films display a reversible multichromism (orange green blue) upon Li+ ion insertion/extraction.