Search

Using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS), we separated and identified 148 non-volatile organic compounds including flavonoids, organic acids and amino acids in navel orange pulp in 37 min. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the pulp of navel oranges from four major production regions in southern Jiangxi Province, Ruijin, Xinfeng, Anyuan and Nankang were detected by headspace solid phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). In total, 97 VOCs were identified including esters, alcohols, aldehydes and terpenes. The results of this study provide detailed data for further research on chemical substances in the pulp of Gannan navel oranges.

Simple Summary: Necrophagous insects on corpses play a crucial role in estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) through their community succession patterns and developmental data. Developing a simple, rapid, and accurate method for identifying insect species has become a key focus in forensic entomology. In this study, we collected insect samples from real crime scenes between 2018 and 2023 and identified Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) as the most frequently encountered species. To facilitate its identification, we developed a detection system using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow dipstick (LFD) technology. This detection system demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity and can be effectively used with rapid DNA extraction methods. Estimating the postmortem interval (PMI) is critical in the field of forensic science, and necrophagous insects play a significant role in this process. Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a common necrophagous insect species, making its rapid and accurate identification essential. However, commonly used molecular biology methods, such as DNA barcode, still have some limitations in identifying necrophagous insects as they are often complex, time-consuming, and reliant on laboratory instruments. Therefore, in this study, we have developed an innovative detection system for the rapid and accurate identification of C. megacephala based on the Cytochrome b gene using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and lateral flow dipstick (LFD) in combination. The developed RPA-LFD detection system achieved complete amplification in just 15 min at 37 °C with good sensitivity and specificity. Only 7.8 × 10−4 ng or more of target DNA fragments were required, and a positive detection rate of 100% was achieved in 18 C. megacephala samples from actual cases. In addition, the ability of the developed RPA-LFD detection system in combination with rapid DNA extraction methods to enable on-site detection was preliminarily explored. The results suggested that when the RPA-LFD detection system was combined with the grinding ddH2O extraction method (a rapid DNA extraction method), the process from species acquisition to visualization of detection results could be completed in less than 20 min. In conclusion, this innovative RPA-LFD detection system outperforms commonly used molecular biology methods for C. megacephala identification in terms of speed, sensitivity and convenience, making it suitable for direct application at crime scenes, promising to provide important assistance in estimating PMI and expanding the impact of forensic entomological evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten previously undescribed dammarane-type triterpenoid glycosides, cyclocarysaponins A–J (1–10), were isolated from the leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinskaja. The structures of these compounds were characterized through detailed spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS). The cytotoxic activities of all isolates were assessed against five human cancer cell lines (Bel-7402, Caski, BGC-823, A2780, and HCT-116). Of the tested compounds, compounds 1 , 7 , and 9 exhibited selective cytotoxicity against one or more human cancer cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sall4 as one of the spalt family members contains several alternative splicing variants, which are differentially expressed and has a key role in maintaining pluripotent stem cells. However, the molecular features and function of SALL4 have not been well elucidated in porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs). In this study, we identified SALL4 splice variants and found two SALL4 splicing variants through analysis of the porcine transcriptome data derived from piPSCs. SALL4A was only detected in piPSCs but SALL4B was globally expressed in porcine tissues and piPSCs. The level of SALL4B was significantly reduced when piPSCs differen-tiation occurred, however, the expression of SALL4A was not affected, indicating that SALL4B may be essential for the maintenance of piPSCs self-renewal. Overexpression of SALL4A and SALL4B in PEF cells could significantly stimulated expression of endogenous pluripotent genes, when SALL4B significantly promoted OCT4 expression. Conversely, SALL4A significantly promoted KLF4 expression. Additionally, both SALL4A and SALL4B could repress OTX2 promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. Conversely, OTX2 also negatively regulated SALL4 expression. These observations indicate that a negative feedback regulatory mechanism may exist between SALL4 and OTX2, which is useful for the maintenance of the self-renewal of piPSCs.