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Boron modified high-ortho phenolic fibers (o-BPFs) were prepared by melt-spinning from boron modified highortho phenolic resins (o-BPRs) with the weight-average molecular weight of 4973 g/mol, followed by being cured in a solution of formaldehyde and hydrochloric, and then heat-treated under high temperature. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) were used to measure the average molecular weight and ortho/para (o/p) ratio of o-BPRs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the chemical and morphological structures of o-BPRs and o-BPFs. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to examine the thermal stability properties of different resins and fibers and the tensile strength of fibers was measured by a tensile tester. It was found that under proper curing and heat-treatment conditions, the tensile strength of o-BPFs reached 213.6 MPa and the char yield in N2 atmosphere at 800 °C attained 75.4 %. Compared with phenolic fibers (PFs), the decomposition temperatures at 5 % weight loss of o-BPFs in N2 and air atmospheres were increased by 156.8 °C and 219.0 °C, respectively.

Exercise-induced reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are increasingly considered as beneficial health promotion. Astaxanthin (ASX) has been recognized as a potent antioxidant suitable for human ingestion. We investigated whether ASX administration suppressed antioxidant enzyme activity in moderate-intensity exercise. Seven-week-old male C57BL/6 mice (n = 8/group) were treated with ASX (5, 15, and 30 mg/kg BW) combined with 45 min/day moderate-intensity swimming training for four weeks. Results showed that the mice administrated with 15 and 30 mg/kg of ASX decreased glutathione peroxidase, catalase, malondialdehyde, and creatine kinase levels in plasma or muscle, compared with the swimming control group. Beyond that, these two (15 and 30 mg/kg BW) dosages of ASX downregulated gastrocnemius muscle erythroid 2p45 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Meanwhile, mRNA of Nrf2 and Nrf2-dependent enzymes in mice heart were also downregulated in the ASX-treated groups. However, the mice treated with 15 or 30 mg/kg ASX had increased constitutive nitric oxidase synthase and superoxide dismutase activity, compared with the swimming and sedentary control groups. Our findings indicate that high-dose administration of astaxanthin can blunt antioxidant enzyme activity and downregulate transcription of Nrf2 and Nrf2-dependent enzymes along with attenuating plasma and muscle MDA.