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Wheat bran is a by-product of wheat processing, which contains many nutrients, such as protein, vitamins, dietary fiber, phenols and polysaccharides. Studies have shown that wheat bran polysaccharide can prevent diabetes, lower blood sugar, improve immunity, anti-tumor and other effect. It has broad development prospects in daily necessities, health food and medical supplies. Different extraction and purification methods of wheat bran polysaccharides will cause differences in the structure of wheat bran polysaccharides, but the structure affects its biological activity. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the structural characteristics of wheat bran polysaccharide to reveal its biological activity. In this paper, the extraction method, separation and purification, structure characterization and physiological function of wheat bran polysaccharide in recent years are described. At the same time, the structure-activity relationship between the structure of wheat bran polysaccharide and its biological activities is discussed. The present problems and application prospect of wheat bran polysaccharide are prospected in order to provide theoretical basis and new ideas for the utilization and research of wheat bran polysaccharide in health care and medicine.

Abstract The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that viral diseases represent an enormous public health and economic threat to mankind and that individuals with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of complications and death from viral diseases. The development of broad-spectrum antivirals is an important part of pandemic preparedness. Here, we have engineer a series of designer cells which we term autonomous, intelligent, virus-inducible immune-like (ALICE) cells as sense-and-destroy antiviral system. After developing a destabilized STING-based sensor to detect viruses from seven different genera, we have used a synthetic signal transduction system to link viral detection to the expression of multiple antiviral effector molecules, including antiviral cytokines, a CRISPR-Cas9 module for viral degradation and the secretion of a neutralizing antibody. We perform a proof-of-concept study using multiple iterations of our ALICE system in vitro, followed by in vivo functionality testing in mice. We show that dual output ALICESaCas9+Ab system delivered by an AAV-vector inhibited viral infection in herpetic simplex keratitis (HSK) mouse model. Our work demonstrates that viral detection and antiviral countermeasures can be paired for intelligent sense-and-destroy applications as a flexible and innovative method against virus infection.

Abstract Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold great promise for cell‐based therapies, disease modeling, and drug discovery. Classic somatic cell reprogramming to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is often achieved based on overexpression of transcription factors (TFs). However, this process is limited by side effect of overexpressed TFs and unpredicted targeting of TFs. Pinpoint control over endogenous TFs expression can provide the ability to reprogram cell fate and tissue function. Here, a light‐inducible cell reprogramming (LIRE) system is developed based on a photoreceptor protein cryptochrome system and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/nuclease‐deficient CRISPR‐associated protein 9 for induced PSCs reprogramming. This system enables remote, non‐invasive optogenetical regulation of endogenous Sox2 and Oct4 loci to reprogram mouse embryonic fibroblasts into iPSCs (iPSCLIRE) under light‐emitting diode‐based illumination. iPSCLIRE cells can be efficiently differentiated into different cells by upregulating a corresponding TF. iPSCLIRE cells are used for blastocyst injection and optogenetic chimeric mice are successfully generated, which enables non‐invasive control of user‐defined endogenous genes in vivo, providing a valuable tool for facile and traceless controlled gene expression studies and genetic screens in mice. This LIRE system offers a remote, traceless, and non‐invasive approach for cellular reprogramming and modeling of complex human diseases in basic biological research and regenerative medicine applications.

Many varieties of soft wheat in China cannot fully satisfy the requirements of making high-quality cakes due to their undesirable protein properties, which leads to shortages of high-quality soft wheat flour. Therefore, a modification of soft wheat protein is essential for improving the quality of soft wheat and thus improving cake quality. In order to modify the protein properties of soft wheat used for cake production, superheated steam (SS) was used to treat soft wheat grains at 165 °C and 190 °C for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 min, respectively, followed by the milling of wheat grains to obtain refined wheat flour. The properties of proteins and cakes were analyzed using refined wheat flour as materials. First, changes in the structures of wheat proteins were analyzed by determining the solubility, molecular weight distribution and secondary structure of proteins in wheat flour. Secondly, changes in the functional properties of proteins were analyzed by determining the foaming properties and emulsifying properties of proteins in wheat flour. Finally, the specific volume and texture of cakes with wheat flour milled from SS-treated wheat were analyzed. At the initial stage of SS treatment, some of the gliadin and glutenin aggregated, and the gluten macro-polymer (GMP) contents increased. This allowed a more stable gluten network to form during dough kneading, leading to an improvement in dough elasticity. In addition, a short time period (1–3 min) of SS treatment improved the emulsifying properties and foaming ability of wheat protein, which helped to improve the specific volume and texture of cakes. Increasing the SS temperature from 165 °C to 190 °C reduced the optimal treatment time needed to improve cake quality from 3 min to 1 min. SS treatment for longer time (>3 min) periods led to severe protein aggregation and a decrease in the foaming ability and emulsifying properties of protein, which led to a deterioration in the cake quality. Thus, SS treatment at 165 °C for 1–3 min and 190 °C for 1 min could be a suitable method of improving the physicochemical properties of soft wheat used to make cakes with high specific volumes and good texture.

The degradation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEA) is investigated using power ultrasound to identify suitable methods to reduce the mycotoxin content of corn. AFB1 and ZEA in corn are simultaneously degraded via power ultrasound; thus, this method has a significant effect on corn quality. The power intensity, solid-liquid ratio, and ultrasonic treatment modes significantly affect the degradation rates of AFB1 and ZEA. The dissolution of AFB1 and ZEA in water also facilitates their degradation. At the initial stage of ultrasonic treatment, power ultrasound promotes the dissolution of mycotoxins in water, whereupon they are partially oxidized by free radicals. With a treatment time of 10 min, the reduction rates decreased owing to the dissolution of combined-state mycotoxins. After ultrasonic treatment, the contents of the essential amino acids, the total number of amino acids, and the fatty acids in corn decreased; however, ΔH values decreased during starch gelatinization. In contrast, the amylose content and viscosity of corn significantly increased during gelatinization. Therefore, this method is potentially suitable for the reduction of AFB1 and ZEA contents in corn.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most commonly found mycotoxin in corn, which is highly toxic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic for the health of humans and animals. In order to reduce the AFB1 in corn, corn kernels were processed with Water-assisted Microwaves Treatment (WMT) and the feasibility of WMT processing on AFB1 reduction and its effects on corn quality were analyzed. Increasing the treatment time and microwave power could increase the reduction of AFB1, and the maximum reduction rate could reach 58.6% and 56.8%, respectively. There was no significant correlation between the initial concentration of AFB1 and the reduction rate of AFB1. During WMT, the main toxigenic molds were sterilized completely, and the moisture content of corn climbed up and then declined to the initial level. WMT could obviously increase the fatty acid value and pasting temperature of corn and reduce the all paste viscosity of corn. However, it had little effect on the color of corn. The results indicated that WMT could reduce AFB1 effectively and avoid the vast appearance of heat-damaged kernels simultaneously. Undoubtedly, water played an important role in WMT. This result provides a new idea for the reduction of AFB1 by microwave.

Ultrasound is an emerging decontamination technology with potential use in the global food processing industry. In the present study, we explored power ultrasound for processing aqueous aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). AFB1 was degraded by 85.1% after 80 min of ultrasound exposure. The reaction products of AFB1 were identified and their molecular formulae elucidated by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Eight main reaction products were found, and their structures were clarified by parental ion fragmentation. Two degradation pathways were proposed according to the degradation product structures: One involved the addition of H• and OH• radicals, whereas the other involved H2O2 epoxidation and H•, OH•, and H2O2 oxidation of AFB1. Ultrasound treatment significantly reduced AFB1 bioactivity and toxicity by disrupting the C8=C9 double bond in the furan ring and modifying the lactone ring and methoxy group.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most commonly found mycotoxin in scabbed wheat. In order to reduce the DON concentration in scabbed wheat with superheated steam (SS) and explore the feasibility to use the processed wheat as crisp biscuit materials, wheat kernels were treated with SS to study the effects of SS processing on DON concentration and the quality of wheat. Furthermore, the wheat treated with SS were used to make crisp biscuits and the texture qualities of biscuits were measured. The results showed that DON in wheat kernels could be reduced by SS effectively. Besides, the reduction rate raised significantly with the increase of steam temperature and processing time and it was also affected significantly by steam velocity. The reduction rate in wheat kernels and wheat flour could reach 77.4% and 60.5% respectively. In addition, SS processing might lead to partial denaturation of protein and partial gelatinization of starch, thus affecting the rheological properties of dough and pasting properties of wheat flour. Furthermore, the qualities of crisp biscuits were improved at certain conditions of SS processing.

The article reports on science research based on health and medicine which discusses about versatile genetic control system in mammalian cells and mice responsive to clinically licensed sodium ferulate. Topics include dynamically adjustable gene- and cell-based therapies are recognized as next-generation medicine; and the translation of precision therapies into clinics is limited by lack of specific switches controlled by inducers that are safe and ready for clinical use.