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How plants balance growth and stress adaptation is a long-standing topic in plant biology. Abscisic acid (ABA) induces the expression of the stress-responsive Asparagine Rich Protein (NRP), which promotes the vacuolar degradation of PP6 phosphatase FyPP3, releasing ABI5 transcription factor to initiate transcription. Whether NRP is required for growth remains unknown. We generated an nrp1 nrp2 double mutant, which had a dwarf phenotype that can be rescued by inhibiting auxin transport. Insufficient auxin in the transition zone and over-accumulation of auxin at the root tip was responsible for the short elongation zone and short-root phenotype of nrp1 nrp2. The auxin efflux carrier PIN2 over-accumulated in nrp1 nrp2 and became de-polarized at the plasma membrane, leading to slower root basipetal auxin transport. Knock-out of PIN2 suppressed the dwarf phenotype of nrp1 nrp2. Furthermore, ABA can induce NRP-dependent vacuolar degradation of PIN2 to inhibit primary root elongation. FyPP3 also is required for NRP-mediated PIN2 turnover. In summary, in growth condition, NRP promotes PIN2 vacuolar degradation to help maintain PIN2 protein concentration and polarity, facilitating the establishment of the elongation zone and primary root elongation. When stressed, ABA employs this pathway to inhibit root elongation for stress adaptation.

EpsteinBarr virus (EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) plays an important oncogenic role in the viral latent infection. Recently, increasing evidence indicates that the high expression of LMP1 during EBV lytic cycle is related to the viral lytic replication. However, the mechanism by which LMP1 regulates EBV lytic replication remains unclear. ()-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) prevents carcinogenesis by directly targeting numerous membrane proteins and effectively inhibits EBV lytic cascade. Here, we demonstrated that LMP1 promotes EBV lytic replication through the downstream signal molecules MAPKs, including ERKs, p38, and JNKs. LMP1 induces the phosphorylation of p53 through MAPKs to enhance the ability of wild-type p53 (wt-p53) to activate expression of BZLF1 gene, while the JNKs/c-Jun signal axis appears to be involved in EBV lytic replication induced by LMP1 in p53 mutant manner. We provided the first evidence that EGCG directly targets the viral membrane LMP1 (K d=0.36 M, n=1) using fluorescence quenching, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assay, and CNBR-activated Sepharose 4B pull-down affinity chromatography. Furthermore, we revealed that EGCG inhibits EBV lytic replication via suppressing LMP1 and thus blocking the downstream MAPKs/wt-p53 signal axis in AGS-EBV cells and JNKs/c-Jun signal axis in p53 mutant B95.8 cells. Our study, for the first time, reports the binding and inhibitory efficacy of EGCG to the LMP1, which is a key oncoprotein encoded by EBV. These findings suggest the novel function of LMP1 in the regulation of EBV lytic cycle and reveal the new role of EGCG in EBV-associated malignancies through suppressing viral reactivation.

In this study, selenium‐enriched soybean peptides (, Low‐molecular weight peptides Se‐SPep were prepared from selenium‐enriched soybean. Se‐SPep has immunomodulatory effects on immunosuppressed mice. Supplementation of Se‐SPep possesses therapeutic potential for immunosuppression, and may potentially act as a promising immunomodulator.

High Fischer ratio peptides have been used in many kinds of foods due to their special amino acid composition and health-promotion functions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal enzymes for hydrolysis and activated carbon for adsorption during the preparation of high Fischer ratio peptides from soybean protein. Three and two enzymes were tried with different combinations for the first and second hydrolysis steps respectively. Eight types of activated carbon were tested for their adsorption capacity. Our results show that, after evaluating the branched-chain amino acids retention and Fischer ratio computation, double enzyme hydrolysis steps with alcalase and flavorzyme followed with powdered activated carbon adsorption could raise Fischer ratio from 2.96 to 18.9 though branched-chain amino acids dropped around 80%. By further comparing six different candidate carbons, AK-220 activated carbon was comparatively premium in terms of branched-chain amino acids retention, aromatic amino acids removal and total protein loss rate and its adsorption conditions were optimized as pH 5.5, carbon-hydrolysate ratio 0.1 and adsorption time of 3 h. Overall, our findings demonstrate that, after the sequential treatments of two enzymatic hydrolysis (alcalase and flavorzyme) and activated carbon (AK220) adsorption respectively, branched-chain amino acids could be maintained at around 60% while Fischer ratio was elevated about 4 times comparing with the untreated soybean protein. This study could pave the way for widening the value and application of soybean peptides with high Fischer ratio which would very likely be further used as food or medicine supplement.

Selenium (Se) is an essential nutrient associated with several physiological processes in humans and has raised interest because of its antioxidant and immune properties. Se deficiency is related to a variety of diseases and dysfunctions in humans. Due to its higher bioavailability and lower toxicity, organic Se is more recommendable than inorganic Se in the frame of a balanced diet. Se is present in 25 identified selenoproteins that commonly occur in human organisms. As part of selenocysteine (SeC), Se becomes co-translationally incorporated into the polypeptide chain and involved in the regulation of oxidative stress, redox mechanisms, and other crucial cellular processes responsible for innate and adaptive immune responses. This review presents the current information regarding the presence of selenoproteins in the human body, and the separation of selenoproteins and selenopeptides from various plants and their physiological roles in the immune and oxidation systems of humans. In general, the application of selenoproteins and Se-enriched peptides are practically important for the clinical arena, whereby it can be used for exploring new healthy foods.

α-Amylase is abundant in plants and animals. α-Amylase inhibitors can reduce endogenous α-amylase activity, playing an essential role in agricultural pest control, and preventing and treating human disease. In the agricultural field, α-Amylase inhibitors can restrict pest that relies on the starch of crops. Acarbose is an α-amylase inhibitor used to treat diabetes. Some α-amylase inhibitors are represented by antinutritional factors, while others are proteinaceous. Depending on their structures and sources, researchers have divided them into seven types: The knottin-like type, the γ-thionin-like type, the cereal type, the Kunitz type, the thaumatin-like type, and the lectin-like type. This paper introduces the methods for separating, purifying, and detecting proteinaceous α-amylase inhibitors while examining the structure and inhibition mechanism of several proteinaceous α-amylase inhibitors. Finally, it explores the potential applications of α-amylase inhibitors.

Bifidobacterium is a common probiotic that plays a vital role in the intestinal tract. This study aimed to explore the different effects of soybean protein and soybean peptides on the growth and metabolism of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis JCM 1190. Soybean protein and soybean peptides were digested in vitro, after which different nitrogen source containing media were prepared and used for the monoculture of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis JCM 1190 and the co-culture of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis JCM 1190 and Escherichia coli JCM 1649. During the culture process, the viable cell number and lactic acid and acetic acid contents were measured, while non-targeted metabonomics was used to detect the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways. The results showed that soybean protein and soybean peptides promoted the growth and metabolism of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis JCM 1190, while digested soybean peptides had a better effect. Digested soybean peptides increased the viable cell number and lactic acid and acetic acid contents in the monoculture by regulating glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, as well as pyruvate metabolism, the TCA cycle, glycolipid metabolism, and other metabolic pathways, balanced the ability of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis JCM 1190 and Escherichia coli JCM 1649 to utilize nitrogen sources during the early period and enhanced the competitiveness of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. animalis JCM 1190 during the later period in co-culture.

Paste made from eight types of cereal grains (low fiber containing grains [LF grains]: rice, sticky rice, black rice, and millet; and high fiber containing grains [HF grains]: wheat, buckwheat, oat, and barley), and four types of legumes (soybean, red bean, kidney bean, and mung bean), were studied in terms of particle size, rheological, and tribological properties. Sticky rice and soybean pastes showed lower yield stress, viscosity and consistency coefficient than other pastes. Most cereal pastes showed a major peak at approximately 160 µm except for oat and barley, while legume pastes showed mono modal profiles except for soybean. Tribological results showed that starch tended to develop type A friction profiles, showing a typical Stribeck curve; bran/fiber tended to develop type B profiles, showing an ascent curve with clear onset of hydrodynamic regime; protein and lipids promoted type C profiles, showing a flat plateau shaped curve. Water soluble polysaccharides in grains or legumes could improve the paste lubrication. In general, 5% of the black rice paste and sticky rice in the LF grain group, and the soybean paste in the legume group, showed a low friction coefficient (μ) in the entire entrainment speed range; barley paste and oat paste in the HF grain group showed relatively low μ at low entrainment speed (0.5 mm/s) and medium entrainment speed (5 and 10 mm/s), respectively.

Soybean protein‐derived peptides (SBP) are a rich source of various bioactive peptides with multiple health benefits. However, the prospective effects of SBP on human cells are still unclear. Therefore, this article investigated the effects of small molecular weight SBP on MG132‐induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells. SBP inhibited MG132‐induced apoptosis of RAW264.7 cells in a dose‐dependent manner by flow cytometry. To further study its molecular mechanisms, Western blot analysis demonstrated that SBP could activate the PI3K‐AKT pathway by increasing the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT and inhibiting apoptosis pathway by downregulating the expressions of pro‐apoptotic proteins of Bim, Bax, Fas, and Fasl and promoting the expressions of anti‐apoptotic proteins of Bcl‐xL and Bcl‐2. These results indicated the protective effect of SBP on MG132‐induced apoptosis in RAW264.7 cells., Soybean peptides display anti‐apoptosis effect in RAW264.7 cells through the activation of PI3K‐AKT pathway or indirect binding to Fas and FasL receptor.

This research paper was to investigate the influence of soybean peptides addition on viable count of lactic acid bacteria, physicochemical parameters, flavor, and sensory evaluation of yoghurt. The number of fermenting strains (Streptococcus thermophilus + Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) cells in yoghurt (stored at 4 °C for 19 days) added with 0.2% (w/v) of soybean peptides (808.34 Da) reached 1.4 times higher bacterial number than in the control group. A total of 34 volatile substances were detected in this study, while there were 22 volatiles occurred in the control group yoghurt, 30 volatiles were detected in yoghurt added with 0.2% soybean peptides. There was no significant difference in sensory evaluation (p > 0.05) between the yoghurt with and without soybean peptides. In our study, the addition of soybean peptides (0.2%) can be effective both in maintaining the viable bacterial count and yoghurt quality.

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) signaling adaptor, is essential for the type I interferon response to cytosolic double-stranded DNA. Translocation from the ER to perinuclear vesicles following cyclic GMP–AMP (cGAMP) binding is a critical step for STING to activate downstream signaling molecules, which leads to the production of interferon and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Here, we found that apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG2, also known as PDCD6) suppressed STING signaling induced by herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection or cGAMP presence. Knockout of ALG2 markedly increased the expression of type I interferons upon cGAMP treatment or HSV-1 infection in THP-1 monocytes. Mechanistically, ALG2 associated with the C-terminal tail of STING and inhibited its trafficking from the ER to the perinuclear region. Furthermore, the ability of ALG2 to coordinate Ca2+ was crucial for its regulation of STING trafficking and DNA-induced innate immune responses. This work suggests that ALG2 is involved in DNA-induced innate immune responses by regulating STING trafficking.

Soybean protein (Pro) and soybean oligopeptide (Pep) were subjected to simulated digestion in vitro to study the effect of Pep on the growth and metabolism of Lactobacillus acidophilus JCM 1132. First, the molecular weight distribution differences of samples before and after digestion were compared, and the samples were used to replace the nitrogen source components in the culture media. Then, the viable cell numbers, lactic acid and acetic acid content, differential metabolites, and metabolic pathways during the culturing process were measured. Results showed that the digested soybean oligopeptide (dPep) was less efficient than MRS medium in promoting the growth, but by increasing the content of the intermediates during the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, its metabolic capacity was significantly improved. Besides, due to the low molecular weight of dPep, it can be better transported and utilized. And dPep significantly strengthened the amino acid metabolism and weakened the glycerol phospholipid metabolism, so the ability of dPep in promoting the growth and metabolism of Lactobacillus acidophilus JCM 1132 is higher than the digested soybean protein (dPro).

Here, the effects of dietary supplementation with small-molecule soybean-protein-derived peptide (SBP) on sleep duration in mice are described. The amounts of the neurotransmitters tryptophan (Trp, W), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTP), serotonin (5-HT) and melatonin (MT) were determined by using an ELISA kit. Compared with the control group, the group of mice given 0.65 g kg−1 SBP showed 59.21% prolonged sleep at the third day of administration and significantly increased MT levels, by 95.31%. Western blotting analysis of 0.65 g kg−1 SBP revealed the presence of tryptophan hydroxylase (THP) and serotonin-N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) proteins, which increased the release of MT and upregulated the MT1 and MT2 receptor activities to alleviate sleep deprivation. Interestingly, the introduction of 2.60 g kg−1 SBP doubled the 5-HT content in the brain and promoted an awake state. As a result, the produced 5-HT could not be converted into MT in large amounts, so the sleep duration was shorter than that of the control group. These findings suggested the potential of using SBP in appropriate amounts as functional ingredients in various food products to improve sleep in elderly people afflicted with sleep disorders.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of soybean protein hydrolysates against intracellular antioxidant activity. Soybean peptides (1000 to 2000 Da range) were extracted by soybean proteolysis and ultrafiltration and sequenced with a Nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS. In this study we found that soybean peptides inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in HepG2 cells. Moreover, they also prevented the reduction of reduced glutathione (GSH) and up-regulated cellular resistance oxidase activity. In addition, soybean peptide treatment stimulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of antioxidant enzymes and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Activated Nrf2 up-regulated antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px)) and inhibited ROS and MDA production. It was concluded that soybean peptides effectively activated the Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE) mediated activity.

Ergosterol is the common sterol found in edible mushrooms. This study investigated the cholesterol-reducing effect of ergosterol and its related potential mechanism in Sprague-Dawley rats. Thirty-two male rats were divided into four groups fed either a basic diet (NG) or one of three experimental diets, namely high-cholesterol diet (HC), and the two HC diets containing 0.5% ergosterol (EL) and 1.5% ergosterol (EH), respectively, for 8 weeks. Results demonstrated that feeding EL and EH diets decreased serum total cholesterol (TC) by 19.4–21.6%, low density lipoproptein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 42.0–42.6%, and TC/HDL-C ratio by 7.1–10.5%. This was accompanied by 46.8–53.2% reduction in liver cholesterol and 51.0–59.3% increase in fecal cholesterol excretion with up-regulation on gene expression of liver sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 (SREBP-2), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) and Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase (HMG-CoR). Results from micelles formation assay in vitro clearly demonstrated that ergosterol could significantly inhibit the entry of cholesterol into micelles. Therefore, the cholesterol-reducing effect of ergosterol was regulated by suppressing intestine cholesterol absorption and promoting the excretion of fecal cholesterol via modulating the expression of hepatic cholesterol-related genes.

As a major sterol in edible mushroom, ergosterol has gained much attention owing to its potential bioactivities. However, ergosterol has a high melting point, poor oil solubility and stability, which restrict its scope of application. In this study, an ergosterol ester of α-linolenic acid was successfully and efficiently prepared using Candida sp. 99-125 lipase as a biocatalyst. The desired product was confirmed to be ergosterol linolenate using MS, FT-IR, and NMR analyses. Using Candida sp. 99-125 lipase, the product conversion exceeded 92% in 12 h under the following optimized parameters: 75 mmol/L ergosterol, 40 g/L lipase, 1:1.25 ergosterol-to-α-linolenic acid molar ratio, and 45 °C. The results confirmed that Candida sp. 99-125 lipase has good reusability and stability and is also relatively low cost, suggesting its great potential for large-scale production of ergosterol ester. Most importantly, the physiochemical properties (oil solubility and melting point) of ergosterol significantly improved after esterification with α-linolenic acid, thus facilitating its application in oil-based systems.

The formation of two toxic aldehydes, 4‐hydroxyhexenal (HHE) and 4‐hydroxynonenal (HNE) were monitored in five vegetable oils during thermal processing (100–200 °C) with the results modelled. HHE was only determined in rapeseed and linseed oil, while HNE was determined in all tested oils and the contents varied significantly depending on the oil type. For HHE/HNE‐detected oils, the evolution during heating was well described by the pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model. The equilibrium contents of HHE/HNE increased and the duration until equilibrium decreased as a function of temperature. The calculated reaction rate constants followed the Arrhenius law. The formation rate of HHE/HNE was remarkably oil‐dependent, which was also in accordance with the calculated kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. Accordingly, the above results can contribute to a prediction of HHE/HNE formation in different vegetable oils during thermal processing, especially the temperature/time required during frying, which is generally higher than 100 °C and 6 h., respectively.

This paper is aimed at purifying and identifying selenium (Se)-containing antioxidative peptides from Se-enriched soybean peptides (SSP). In this work, the SSP was separated into five fractions (F1 to F5). Fraction F4, displaying the highest antioxidative activity, was further separated, and sub-fractions F4-1 to F4-5 were selected for antioxidative activity evaluation using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)diammonium salt (ABTS), and OH− radical scavenging assays. The Se-containing antioxidative peptides with sequence Ser–SeC–Ala–His–Lys (SSeCAHK) were identified in sub-fraction F4-1 and chemically synthesized. This Se-containing pentapeptide showed a preventive effect against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells. Pretreating the cells for 2 h with SSeCAHK (0.13–0.50 mg mL−1) induced strong intracellular, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activity while preventing a decrease in reduced glutathione (GSH) and an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA). Therefore, SSeCAHK treatment improved H2O2-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells, demonstrating the significant potential of SSeCAHK as a natural antioxidative functional material for dietary supplementation.

A novel porous carbon adsorbent for the removal of deoxynivalenol was prepared from soybean dreg (SD). The new material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis, N2 adsorption/desorption measurement techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The specific surface area of the SDB-6-KOH was found to be 3655.95 m2 g−1, the pore volume was 1.936 cm3 g−1 and the average pore size was 2.125 nm. The high specific surface area and effective functional groups of the carbon material promoted the adsorption of deoxynivalenol. By comparing the adsorption effect of SDB-6-X prepared with different activators (X: KOH, K2CO3, KHCO3), SDB-6-KOH had the highest adsorption capacity. The maximum adsorption capacity of SDB-6-KOH to deoxynivalenol was 52.9877 µg mg−1, and the removal efficiency reached 88.31% at 318 K. The adsorption kinetic and isotherm data were suitable for pseudo-second-order and Langmuir equations, and the results of this study show that the novel carbon material has excellent adsorptive ability and, thus, offers effective practical application potential for the removal of deoxynivalenol.

Lactic acid bacteria are one of the most pivotal probiotics. Promoting their viability could be an effective method to modulate the balance of intestinal flora, thereby improving human health. The current solution is to take advantage of carbon-sourced prebiotics, while protein and peptides with potential prebiotic functions have not been investigated. Soy proteins and peptides have been proven to enhance the growth and metabolism of Lactobacillus. However, research on the relationship between strains of lactobacilli and the structure of soybean peptides is still limited. In the present study, soybean protein and peptides effectively increased the growth and organic acid secretion of Limosilactobacillus reuteri LR08. Additionally, soybean peptides and fructooligosaccharides showed synergistic effects in modulating Limosilactobacillus reuteri LR08. Fraction 1 acquired from soy peptides using RP-HPLC exhibited the most effectiveness and several novel peptides were identified. These results could theoretically and practically benefit soybean peptide application as a potential prebiotic.

The primary purpose of this study was to extract β-conglycinin (7S) and glycinin (11S) from soybean seed, soybean meals and soybean protein isolate and compare their yield and purity. The previous methods were modified for the extraction and isolation of 7S and 11S globulins. The adjustment mainly included sample to solution ratio of 1:10 (previously 1:15). Comparing the yield of 11S fraction in Tris-HCl and water as extractable solutions, it was almost doubled in soybean seed (16.97% to 32.41%) with purity from 96 to 98% respectively. In case of soybean meal, samples yield increased from 45.46 to 61.86% with purity from 94 to 98%. On contrary, 7S yield was significantly improved in soybean protein isolate sample from 30.33 to 53.81% along with no contamination in its purity while soybean seed and soybean meal samples had less increase in both yield and purity in Tris-HCl and water as extractable solutions. Results of this study will bring new insights into soybean 7S and 11S separation and purification techniques as well as pave the way for their application in food industry.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether soybean protein isolates (SPIs2 PEP: soybean peptides; dPEPs: digested soybean peptides; SPIs: soybean protein isolates; dSPIs: digested soybean protein isolates; MRS: Man Rogosa Sharpe broth; LN: MRS reduced nitrogen content by half; LN+PEP: LN supplemented with an equivalent nitrogen content from soybean peptides; LN+SPI: LN supplemented with an equivalent nitrogen content from soybean protein isolates; LN+dPEP: LN supplemented with an equivalent nitrogen content from digested soybean peptides; LN+dSPI: LN supplemented with an equivalent nitrogen content from digested soybean protein isolates.2) and soybean peptides (PEPs), as well as their hydrolysates after simulated gastrointestinal digestion (dSPIs and dPEPs), can promote the growth and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) in vitro under mono-culture and co-culture with Escherichia coli (E. coli). We found that all the treatment groups could enhance the viable cell numbers, while the effects of PEP and dPEP occurred earlier than those of SPI and dSPI, and the production of SCFAs was improved mainly by the dPEP and dSPI groups in mono-culture. In the co-culture system, dPEP weakened the competitiveness of E. coli and improved the competitive capacity of L. rhamnosus, and the viable cell numbers of L. rhamnosus were higher than the numbers in the treated mono-culture after 8 h and 12h of cultivation.

The effect of an antioxidative peptide Met-Lys-Ala-Val-Cys-Phe-Ser-Leu (MKAVCFSL) on oxidative stress in Caco-2 cell lines was investigated. Caco-2 cells exposed to excess oxidative stress could be restored when pretreated with the peptide. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) within the cells could be scavenged by MKAVCFSL. The peptide could also enhance the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), while catalase (CAT) activity did not show a significant difference between treatment and control samples. Meanwhile, it was observed that peptide treatment increased the concentration of glutathione (GSH). Yet the content of glutathione disulfide (GSSG) was hardly affected. The stability of MKAVCFSL was also assessed and an intact peptide was observed after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Part of the peptide was hydrolyzed into fragments including MKA, FSL, AVCFSL, and MKAVCF. This study demonstrated that MKAVCFSL derived from bighead carp hydrolysates could ameliorate oxidative stress to protect the Caco-2 cells.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of soy protein and soy peptide on skin repair process in male Wistar rats. Soy protein and soy peptide were administered orally by gavage to the rats post-operatively for 16 days. The supplementation of soy protein and soy peptide resulted in improvement of leucocytes production, decrease in serum inflammation index (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) as well as increase of plasma protein concentration. Additionally, the excessive production of inflammatory factors in peptide group were significantly suppressed compared with the protein group at day 4, which indicated that soy peptide had a better impact on promoting the process of skin repair. Histopathological analysis indicated that peptide group performed better on fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis than the protein group, and eventually manifests as more collagen deposition and a better skin repair rate. In conclusion, soy peptide displayed the potential to promote skin regeneration.

Macrophages are mainly divided into two populations, which play a different role in physiological and pathological conditions. The differentiation of these cells may be regulated by transcription factors. However, it is unclear how to modulate these transcription factors to affect differentiation of these cells. Here, we found that lncLy6C, a novel ultraconserved lncRNA, promotes differentiation of Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocytes into Ly6Clow/neg resident macrophages. We demonstrate that gut microbiota metabolites butyrate upregulates the expression of lncLy6C. LncLy6C deficient mice had markedly increased Ly6Chigh pro-inflammatory monocytes and reduced Ly6Cneg resident macrophages. LncLy6C not only bound with transcription factor C/EBPβ but also bound with multiple lysine methyltransferases of H3K4me3 to specifically promote the enrichment of C/EBPβ and H3K4me3 marks on the promoter region of Nr4A1, which can promote Ly6Chigh into Ly6Cneg macrophages. As a result, lncLy6C causes the upregulation of Nr4A1 to promote Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocytes to differentiate into Ly6Cint/neg resident macrophages.

Exposure of mucosal epithelial cells to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein gp120 is known to disrupt epithelial cell junctions by impairing stathmin-mediated microtubule depolymerization. However, the pathological significance of this process and its underlying molecular mechanism remain unclear. Here we show that treatment of epithelial cells with pseudotyped HIV-1 viral particles or recombinant gp120 protein results in the activation of protein kinase G 1 (PKG1). Examination of epithelial cells by immunofluorescence microscopy reveals that PKG1 activation mediates the epithelial barrier damage upon HIV-1 exposure. Immunoprecipitation experiments show that PKG1 interacts with stathmin and phosphorylates stathmin at serine 63 in the presence of gp120. Immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence microscopy further demonstrate that PKG1-mediated phosphorylation of stathmin promotes its autophagic degradation by enhancing the interaction between stathmin and the autophagy adaptor protein p62. Collectively, these results suggest that HIV-1 exposure exploits the PKG1/stathmin axis to affect the microtubule cytoskeleton and thereby perturbs epithelial cell junctions. Our findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism by which exposure to HIV-1 increases epithelial permeability, which has implications for the development of effective strategies to prevent mucosal HIV-1 transmission.

The characteristics of three acetylated distarch phosphates with different degree of cross linking (ADP-L

Insulin-induced gene 1 (INSIG1) regulates sterol synthesis by mediating the activation of sterol regulatory element–binding protein (SREBP) and the degradation of the HMG-CoA reductase (HMGCR). INSIG1 is up-regulated during HIV-1 infection, but its role in HIV-1 infection is unknown. In this report, using pseudovirus production, protein overexpression, and gene knockouts, we found that INSIG1 inhibits HIV-1 production by accelerating the degradation of the HIV-1 Gag protein. Unlike the degradation of HMGCR via the E3 ubiquitin ligase autocrine motility factor receptor (AMFR), a process that depends on the proteasome, INSIG1 coordinated with another ligase, translocation in renal carcinoma chromosome 8 (TRC8), and promoted Gag degradation through the lysosome pathway. We conclude that INSIG1 functions as a sentinel responsive to HIV-1 production and inhibits HIV-1 replication by degrading Gag, a process occurring at intracellular membrane sites such as the endoplasmic reticulum and endosomes where both INSIG1 and Gag may be located.

In recent years, the consumption of high protein beverages has increased due to the consciousness among consumers about their body weight. This study investigated the rheological, tribological and visual properties of pure proteins solutions with variable protein concentrations and with/without hydrocolloids (gelatin, κ-carrageenan, low methoxy pectin and curdlan). Although whey protein addition did not have any obvious influence on the appearances of protein solutions, it increased the stability against agglomeration and improved viscosity and lubrication property (measured as a friction coefficient) to some extent. The protein solutions became less stable with addition of the hydrocolloids under investigation, however the flow and lubrication behaviour of the protein solutions improved as the amount of hydrocolloids increased. The protein solution containing 0.25 g/100 g of curdlan showed the best lubrication property at both 15 and 37 °C.

Silkworm pupae are a traditional Chinese food, rich in various saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids have a certain protective effect against oxidative damage. The present study used an animal model to determine the protective effect of silkworm pupa oil on hydrochloric acid / ethanol-induced gastric ulcer. RESULTS Silkworm pupa oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic acid 63.4 g kg?1, oleic acid 249.1 g kg?1, linoleic acid 47.0 g kg?1, and linolenic acid 337.8 g kg?1, whereas its unsaturated fatty acid content is 700 g kg?1. Compared to a gastric ulcer control group, high and low doses of pupa oil reduced gastric ulcer area and gastric secretion, whereas gastric pH increased. It also increased serum antioxidant superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, somatostatin (SST), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) levels, and reduced serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and interferon-? (IFN-?), motilin (MTL), and gastrin (GT) levels. RT-qPCR and western blot analyses indicated that silkworm pupa oil significantly increased CAT, GSH-Px, epidermal growth factor (EGF), Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, and NF-kappa-B inhibitor-α (I?B-α) expression and lowered nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-?B), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. CONCLUSION Silkworm pupa oil treatment reduced oxidative damage and inflammation in mice, and high-dose silkworm pupa oil was superior to low-dose silkworm pupa oil, following ranitidine. ? 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

The formation of 4‐hydroxy‐hexenal (HHE) and 4‐hydroxy‐nonenal (HNE) in eight vegetable oils was investigated at 180 °C. HHE was only detectable in soybean (SBO), rapeseed (RO) and linseed oils (LO). HNE was measured in all tested oils, but was found mainly in corn (CO), sunflower (SO) and soybean oil (SBO). Oil‐dependent formation of HHE/HNE was remarkably observed. Furthermore, different fatty acid methyl esters in tricaprylin, as model oil systems, were constructed to demonstrate their characteristic contribution to HHE/HNE formation. As expected, HHE and HNE originated from the oxidative degradation of methyl linolenate (MLN) and methyl linoleate (ML) respectively. Whereas low concentrations of MLN (

Along with its homologs FCHo1 and FCHo2, SGIP1 plays an important role in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. The highly conserved C-terminal μHD domains in these proteins are the critical regions interacting with adapter molecules such as Eps15. The crystal structure of μHD domain of SGIP1 has been reported previously. In this study, we found that μHD domain of SGIP1 is capable of forming a stable dimer by an intermolecular disulfide bond formed by C632 in our crystal structure. The mutational study of C632 revealed that this residue is important for the function of SGIP1 during cellular endocytosis. Our study revealed a new dimerization and/or oligomerization manner in theses adaptor proteins, which is a critical prerequisite for their proper function.

This article describes results of the effect of dietary supplementation with small molecular weight soybean protein-derived peptides on major rat burn injury-induced muscle atrophy. As protein nutrients have been previously implicated to play an important role in improving burn injury outcomes, optimized more readily absorbed small molecular weight soybean protein-derived peptides were evaluated. Thus, the quantity, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis patterns, molecular weight distribution, and composition of amino acids of the prepared peptides were analyzed, and a major full-thickness 30% total body surface area burn-injury rat model was utilized to assess the impact of supplementation with soybean protein-derived peptides on initial systemic inflammatory responses as measured by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2, also known as MCP-1), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 7 (CCL7, also known as MCP-3), and generation of muscle atrophy as measured by tibialis anterior muscle (TAM) weight relative to total body weight. Induction of burn injury-induced muscle atrophy ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) signaling pathways in effected muscle tissues was determined by Western blot protein expression measurements of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase TRIM-63 (TRIM63, also known as MuRF1) and F-box only protein 32 (FBXO32, also known as atrogin-1 or MAFbx). In addition, induction of burn injury-induced autophagy signaling pathways associated with muscle atrophy in effected muscle tissues was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis as measured by microtubule-associated proteins 1 light chain 3 (MAP1LC3, or commonly abbreviated as LC3) and beclin-1 (BECN1) expression, as well as relative induction of cytoplasmic-liberated form of MAP1LC3 (LC3-I) and phagophore and autophagosome membrane-bound form of MAP1LC3 (LC3-II), and BECN1 protein expression by Western blot analysis. Nutrient supplementation with small molecular weight soybean protein-derived peptides resulted a significant reduction in burn injury-induced inflammatory markers, muscle atrophy, induction of TRIM63 and FBXO32 muscle atrophy signaling pathways, and induction of autophagy signaling pathways LC3 and BECN1 associated with muscle atrophy. These results implicated that small molecular weight soybean-derived peptides dietary supplementation could be used as an adjunct therapy in burn injury management to reduce the development or severity of muscle atrophy for improved burn patient outcomes.

Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus) is a probiotic strain that has exhibited probiotic properties in the prevention and treatment of intestinal flora imbalance. In order to investigate the morphological differences and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of simulated gastrointestinal digested soybean protein isolate (dpro 2 ) and digested soybean peptide (dpep) treatment on L. rhamnosus, microscopic observation and iTRAQ-based proteomics and bioinformatics analysis were performed. 1462 proteins were identified, and differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were screened accurately, including 66 DAPs in the dpep group compared with the Man Rogosa Sharpe broth (M) group and 66 DAPs in the dpep/dpro group. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that DAPs in dpep/M and dpep/dpro mainly differed in cellular carbohydrate and nitrogen compound catabolic processes and transport. Some of the DAPs overlapped in the three comparison groups might be pivotal proteins involved in growth and morphologic changes of the dpep and dpro treatments.

This research investigated the effects of Fe3+ and antioxidants on the formation of glycidyl esters (GEs) and the free radical mediated mechanisms involving the recognition of cyclic acyloxonium free radical intermediate (CAFRI) for GE formation in both the plant oil model (palm oil, camellia oil, soybean oil, and linseed oil) system and the chemical model (dipalmitin and methyl linoleate) system heated at 200 °C. Results show that Fe3+ can promote the formation of GEs, which can be inhibited by antioxidants in plant oil during high-temperature exposure. Based on the monitoring of cyclic acyloxonium and ester carbonyl group by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the promotion of Fe3+ and the inhibition of antioxidants (tert-butylhydroquinone and α-tocopherol) for GE formation occurred not only through lipid oxidation but also through directly affecting the formation of cyclic acyloxonium intermediate. Additionally, a quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry measurement was conducted to iden...

This study aimed to determine the effect of soybean protein-derived peptides (SBP) on the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammation. The mRNA of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Lymphocyte Antigen 96 (LY96), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were detected with RT-qPCR. The concentrations of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) secreted were detected by ELISA Kit. The results indicated that SBP inhibited the inflammatory stress induced by LPS in RAW264.7 cells. Western blot analysis was used to examine this anti-inflammatory molecular mechanism. The findings showed that SBP impeded the increase of toll-like receptor 4 activity by restricting LY96, while also inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase-c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway in cells, as well as LPS-induced NF-κB activation caused by the degradation of nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκBα). Consequently, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) was inhibited, preventing LPS-induced inflammation of RAW 264.7 cells. Therefore, this research highlighted the potential application of SBP in the development of anti-inflammatory foods that prevented inflammatory-immune diseases. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Inflammation is the root cause of almost all pathology and is related to many human diseases, including arthritis, obesity, cancer and atherosclerosis. Therefore, the development of products that can regulate and intervene inflammation has a broad application prospect. Soybean protein and soybean peptide have many functional properties, including immunoregulation, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation and so on. However, there are still some shortcomings in the development of soy protein supplements, such as solubility and absorption. Compared with soybean protein, derived peptide is easy to digest, and has high solubility. As a good nutritional supplement, the nutritional support of soybean protein-derived peptides may help to reduce inflammation and improve the level of cytokines combined with drugs.

In this study, the formation of two toxic reactive aldehydes, 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), was investigated during frying of two different foodstuffs at 180 °C for 7 h in three different vegetable oils. The results showed that HHE and HNE content in the oil after frying was lower than that in the oil fried without foods. It was mainly because of the incorporation of HHE/HNE into the fried foods. In French Fries (FF), the HNE content was higher, whereas it was lower in the fried chicken breast meat (FCBM). The bidirectional model systems consisting of the model oil frying system and the model food frying system were used. The result of the model oil system showed that the content of HNE was higher in FF for the higher hydrophobic property than that in HHE, which would be preferably bounded into the hydrophobic helical structures, whereas the lower content of HNE was observed in FCBM due to its higher reactivity towards the nucleophilic group, namely, the protein in FCBM. Furthermore, the model food frying system including starch and protein extracted from the corresponding foodstuffs verified the results in the model oil system. Finally, the probable migration mechanism of HHE and HNE in different food matrices was proposed for the first time.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent malignant tumor in the central nervous system. Aerobic glycolysis, featured with elevated glucose consumption and lactate production, confers selective advantages on GBM by utilizing nutrients to support rapid cell proliferation and tumor growth. Pyruvate kinase 2 (PKM2), the last rate-limiting enzyme of glycolysis, is known to regulate aerobic glycolysis, and considered as a novel cancer therapeutic target. Herein, we aim to describe the cellular functions and mechanisms of a small molecular compound dimethylaminomicheliolide (DMAMCL), which has been used in clinical trials for recurrent GBM in Australia. Our results demonstrate that DMAMCL is effective on the inhibition of GBM cell proliferation and colony formation. MCL, the active metabolic form of DMAMCL, selectively binding to monomeric PKM2 and promoting its tetramerization, was also found to improve the pyruvate kinase activity of PKM2 in GBM cells. In addition, non-targeting metabolomics analysis reveals multiple metabolites involved in glycolysis, including lactate and glucose-6-phosphate, are decreased with DMAMCL treatment. The inhibitory effects of DMAMCL are observed to decrease in GBM cells upon PKM2 depletion, further confirming the importance of PKM2 in DMAMCL sensitivity. In conclusion, the activation of PKM2 by DMAMCL results in the rewiring aerobic glycolysis, which consequently suppresses the proliferation of GBM cells. Hence, DMAMCL represents a potential PKM2-targeted therapeutic agent against GBM.